Poketech High
by kathmolko
Summary: Why is it rated PG? Who knows? Anyway, to cut it short, the whole Pokemon gang (including Gabby and Kishi of The Keeper of the Mewtwos, my other fic series) are 16, they attend Pokemon Technical, and they are caught up in the usual teenage struggles. Read
1. Default Chapter Title

POKETECH HIGH

This story DOES not follow the TV show in which Ash is eleven and Jessi seventeen. Everyone is sixteen and they all attend Pokemon Technical. The characters are the same as the Dream Team with occasional guest stars>

EPISODE 1, The Start of the Story

Jessi smiled her most sexy smile and crossed her legs, allowing her already too short skirt to ride up her leg. She noticed Misty's look of distaste out of the corner of her eye and smiled at her. Misty scoffed and turned away.   
"What is it Miss Waterflower?" asked Miss Haruna, the Maths teacher.   
"Nothing, Miss" Misty answered in embarrassed tones.   
Jessi grinned at her and faced the front, pretending to listen to all the jargon that Miss Haruna was spouting. She tapped on the back of the guy in front of her to attract his attention. He turned and gave her an impatient look. Jessi drew in a breath sharply. He was gorgeous with lavender coloured hair and sea green eyes.   
"What is it Jessi?" he hissed in his superior voice   
"Can you understand a word of this?" she whispered in a husky voice   
"It's quite easy, really" he bragged with a touch of annoyance creeping into his voice. He knew Jessi was building up to something.   
"Do you think you could help me?" she asked childishly   
"Sure, whatever" he answered, in a hurry to end the conversation   
"It's a date then!" she smiled excitedly "See you at six then, at McDonalds" she paused to savor the name "James"

  
Ash rushed out of the Science Lab as soon as the bell rang for lunchtime. He was anxious to see Misty. He had the biggest crush on her but he was too scared to ask her out. Besides word was around that she had a thing for James. Ash didn't have a clue what Misty saw in James, or what any other girl did for that matter. He knew for a fact that Jessi was after him as well. She was a bitch and he was the first to admit it. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't have time to dodge a blue shape running full pelt towards him.   
"WHOA!"   
"OOMF!"   
Ash found himself and his books sprawled across the floor, his arms and legs entangled with somebody else's.   
"I'm soo sorry!" she apoligised as she helped him up. Ash got his first good look at her. She was very pretty with short blue hair and deep brown eyes.   
"That's OK" he comforted   
"Hi, I'm Jenny" she smiled as she handed him his books "And are you doing anything tonight?"   
"I'm Ash" he said, returning the smile "And I'm not at all busy tonight"   


Brock smiled warmly at Cassidy and she sneered back. Turning away he said, "Aren't I ever going to get lucky?"   
Unfortunately his statement was heard by Gary, known all over the school by the fact that he always had a group of girls at his heels, literally.   
"Well, Brock my boy," he replied in a conceited voice "Some people have it and others don't. I have it, but you, my friend, do not!" he bowed elaborately and strode off, leaving Brock to fume over his teasing. But the thing that angered him the most was that there was an element of truth in the insult. Gary may be a creep, he thought, but he does manage to get an unlikely number of followers. Brock glanced to the right and saw Butch and Jessibelle on their way to the locker bays, hand in hand. Brock felt immediately jealous, Butch wasn't exactly god looking either, he thought, so how come he ended up with a gorgeous babe like Jessibelle? That was when he saw her. She had short dark blue hair in pigtails and a perfect shaped face. Even the hideous regulation school uniform looked good on her. She was so beautiful. Brock felt a wave of determination crash over him. This time, he told himself, I'm NOT gonna screw it up! And with that he sauntered over her.   


Butch gazed over the cafeteria as he waited for Jessibelle to arrive with her tray of food. He wasn't looking for anyone in particular, just spacing out. His eyes were subconsciously drawn to someone at a front table. It was Joy. She was the Perfect All Round Student, A+ average, in all the clubs, played sports and the flute. She wasn't just perfect either, he noticed with shrouded admiration; she was also extremely hot. She had dusky pink hair styled into two elaborate coils on either side of her head and her eyes were perfect blue. He gasped, realising what he had been thinking. He had been steady with Jessibelle for seven months and there were jokes going around that they were married. Everyone said they were the perfect couple and up until lately, Butch had believed it. Recently he had been feeling distant and alone. He thought he knew why and he was afraid. Afraid that his relationship with Jessibelle would come to an end.   


Gabby sighed in depression and threw her tray down at a lunch table that was unoccupied. She didn't feel like eating with the popular crowd at the moment. Their bubbly speech and shallow conversation would have driven her nuts.   
"Hey, why aren't you over at your friends table?" asked a familiar voice. Gabby groaned inwardly and smiled at her cousin Kishi as she sat down across from her.   
"You haven't had a fight have you?" she pressed, even though she didn't need to. Gabby had a knack for guessing when Kishi was using her psychic powers for no good.   
"Ah-ha!" she said triumphantly "You finally realise the truth!"   
"Give it a rest will you, Kishi?" Gabby snapped irritably   
"Sorry cuz" Kishi apoligised sincerely "You know you can talk to me if you want, or hang around with Misty and I or whatever"   
"Where is Misty anyhow?" Gabby said a little snappily, changing the subject.   
"Probably off moping over her beloved James" Kishi rolled her eyes   
"What does she see in him?" Gabby sighed   
James strode past them at that moment and after his gorgeous frame had passed they both collapsed into giggles.   
"Duh!"   


Snap inspected his camera with detached interest. He was changing and he knew it. Whilst he always ate his lunch outside, alone, he was beginning to long for popularity. Last year he had despised anyone who was in the 'In' crowd, but this year it was different. He had made himself a social outcast and he regretted it now. A tear fell from his eye and he hurriedly wiped it away. His life was so stupid, so pointless, and all because he had focused on his photography rather than his friends.   
  


To be continued...   


The End   


So whatcha reckon? I'm pretty pleased with it but I NEED FEEDBACK FROM YOU GUYS SO I CAN FIX IT UP AND MAKE IT BETTER FOR YOU, THE READER!

Love and Kisses,   
Mew2   


* * *

  
Poketech High, episode 2, This isn't my day.

Authors note- I am SOOO TOTALLY SORRY for this story being taken off air for improvements but I wasn't happy with it and the title sucked and it made Kishi out to be some kind of slut (which she isn't) so here it is, back again!

The Scene- After school on Wednesday (the day that the last story took place) Cassidy & Jessi are sitting outside the Pokemart and talking.   


Cassidy managed a bored smile as she listened to Jessi rave on about James. James this, James that, James said, James has, James does. So what if she got a date with him? Sure it was cool, but did Jessi NEED to go on about it?   
With any luck her dream date will be a disaster, Cassidy thought evilly as she watched her friend go into a state of blissful rapture over James.   
What's so good about him anyhow? She asked herself, He seems like a poof, a rich poof, but a poof none the less. She found herself glancing over the road at the Bike Shop. A girl with long green hair and a guy with an amazing Mohawk were arguing with the shopkeeper, voices raised intentionally.   
"Who are they?" Cassidy asked with detached interest   
"How am I supposed to know?" Jessi snapped back   
"Take a chill pill" Cassidy said angrily   
"WHAT-ever!" said Jessi as she got up to leave   
"OH, I haven't upset the little princess, have I?" Cassidy said scornfully   
Jessi didn't bother to reply, she just stormed off down the street, leaving Cassidy to seethe over her actions.   


  
Scene- Outside the Public Phone near the Post Office

"So are you coming over tonight?" Misty asked Ash. It was a friendly thing. He, she, Kishi, Gabby and Gary always hung out after school or whenever.   
Whilst he knew it was childish and all, he hated to say no to her.   
"No" he answered mysteriously   
"Why?" Misty seemed genuinely shocked   
"I" he bragged, rubbing it in "Have a date"   
"Ohhh..." Misty trailed off. Ash could vaguely see that she was disappointed "Anyone I know?" She was suddenly her old chirpy self again.   
"I don't think so. Jenny Lowater?"   
"Is she friends with Joy Ferry?" Misty inquired   
Ash shrugged "She's got short blue hair and brown eyes and a squeaky kind of voice"   
"I think I know the one" Misty said hesitantly. The conversation seemed to have run dry.   
Ash lowered his head and scratched the nape of his neck uncomfortably; unable to think of what he could say next.   
"I gotta go" Misty turned away and jogged off.   
Ash stood, wondering why he had ever even accepted Jenny's invitation in the first place.   
  
  


The Scene- Jessibelle's house

"HEY MUM!" yelled Charlie, Jessibelle's annoying younger brother "BELLE HAS BROUGHT HER BOYFRIEND AROUND AGAIN!"   
Butch sighed and dropped his schoolbag at the counter, as usual.   
"Shut up you little gaybo!" she griped and shooed him away. "MUM!" she called towards the back of their country style house "Butch is here!"   
"That's nice, dear" her mother replied. Jessibelle shrugged and grinned at him. He grinned back. He liked being at Jessibelle's house. Sometimes. The times when her older sisters Charlene and Lucinda weren't throwing wild parties and when her little brother didn't have his immature friends around he enjoyed considerably.   
"Wanna go down the street?" Jessibelle asked as Lucinda stepped into the kitchen. Lucinda was nineteen and was having a major fight with Jessibelle. They never spoke to one another at all. It was pathetic, but Butch didn't want to get involved in that family feud.   
"Sure" he shrugged, patting his wallet. It was better than listening to Lucinda and Jessibelle slag off on each other, anyhow.   
  


The Scene- Outside Mt. Moon

Snap was taken photos of a Geodude sunning itself on a rock. It was completely oblivious to his presence, at least until they stepped up behind him.   
At first he hadn't been sure who they was but a better look revealed it was Kishi, Gabby, Gary and Misty.   
"Hi Snap!" Kishi said cheerily. Snap was amazed, Kishi knew his name! Then he remembered, Kishi was a promising young psychic who had trained with Sabrina, the leader of the Saffron City Gym.   
"Yeah hi" Gabby said, much less enthusiastically than her cousin. Snap smiled nervously and Gary looked faraway and bored. Misty too, seemed preoccupied.   
"I'm Kishi Ogawa" she introduced, clearly the only one interested in conversation "And this is my cousin, Gabby Ogawa and my two friends Misty Waterflower and Gary Oak"   
"I'm Snap Walker" he said foolishly   
"Are you gonna catch that Geodude?" Gary asked. Snap shook his head.   
"Cool." Gary shrugged and took a Pokeball off his belt "POKEBALL GO"   
"DON'T!" Snap blurted before he had the sense to stop.   
"And why not?" Gary fumed through squinted eyes   
"Because I'm photographing it in its natural environment" he answered weakly, all hope of becoming friends with him gone. He half expected Gary to mock him but he just shrugged and nodded.   
"I'm goin'" he muttered. Gabby and Misty followed him but Kishi stayed.   
"So," she said, positioning herself next to him "How on Earth do you use a camera?"   
  


The Scene- The opening of Mt. Moon

Brock squinted as he stepped out of the cave and into the searing sunlight. At first he thought her shape was merely an illusion from the lack of light he had suffered back there, but as his vision came into focus he saw her in her full glory. It was the girl from school. The blue haired one. But she was with some photographer dude. He decided that he had to take the chance and he went over to talk to her.   


  
The Scene- Outside Mt. Moon

Kishi shielded her eyes from the harsh sunlight with the back of her hand and smiled at Brock genuinely. He was so incredibly nice that she couldn't believe she'd never hung out with him before. That fact was true for Snap also. She was aware that both guys liked her but she didn't feel the same. For probably only the third time in her sixteen years Kishi could say that she truly did not have any feelings for any guy at all. She looked over at Brock and Snap's smiling faces and smiled too. She felt nothing stronger than friendship for either of them, but she was happy that the two half-casts had met up, and even if it meant acting oblivious to their fondness towards her, she was determined to make them friends.   
  


The Scene- Jessi waiting at McDonalds for James to show up.   


Jessi snuck a glance at herself in the mirror. She looked nice but cheap. Her family was quite poor and she couldn't afford the nice clothes that the other girls got which always made her embarrassed and uncomfortable. And added to that fact her mother and father were constantly fighting and Jessi knew soon they would break up, but she tried to pretend it wasn't happening, that they were a proper family and she was still the little princess...   
An hour later James still hadn't shown up. Jessi couldn't kid herself any longer and she began to cry. She fled the restaurant in tears, unable to cope with this one last blow.

James's Bedroom, Pokemon Manor house   
James stared out his bedroom window onto the fields below. He was aware he had stood Jessi up, but he didn't really care. He had only one love and he knew he would always love her, forever. The name clung bitterly to his lips as he whispered her name hoarsely.   
"Gabby..."   
But why did he like her? He was so popular he could click his fingers and the girls would come running, and vise versa for Gabby. Was his affection more a love of challenge than a love of person? Did he only feel towards her because she was the only girl who hadn't dropped at his feet?   
"Or am I just a selfish barstad who thinks he's a super star?" he wondered aloud. One thing, however, was for sure. Gabby didn't share his feelings.   


To Be Continued...   


The series is going to get more exciting one day, I promise you all...

Here's a Weather Forecast- Parties, getting drunk, betrayal, remorse, stress, changing and money!

Love Mew2   


* * *

  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Poketech High 3, If I was beautiful like you...

Scene- Ferry Family Ranch 4 PM on Thursday

Joy mopped her brow in an exaggerated manner as she finished tending to the Taurus. She opened the gate of the paddock to let Sally, one of the farm Growlithes, out. She sighed and leant onto the wooden railings of the fence. She was sick of being perfect, sick of perfect grades, sick of the perfect daughter act and most of all sick of herself for keeping up the act. She wanted to be bad, to ruin her reputation, to get so dirty that no one could stand it. She grinned to herself, remembering that some girl called Lucinda was having a big 'Sex, Drugs and Rock 'n' Roll' party this weekend. 

"No more Miss nice girl" she grinned evilly "I can change"

Her heart beat furiously in her chest with fear and excitement as she stood, pouting in a tough girl way. She whipped around and stormed of down the track to her house, her mind whirring at light speed inside her head.

Scene Butch's bedroom, 10:30 PM

Butch went to bed early that night. He felt sick, but he was unsure why. His mind was racing around at top speed, his life seemed to have taken on a life of its own and he was left standing in the outskirts of his mind, alone and helpless.

Butch was standing alone in black and white valley, the wind was so strong it was hard for him to stay upright, ahead of him he saw a colorful blur. His vision changed and he saw it as the shapes of Cassidy and Joy, twisting and melding together. He tried to turn away but the wind was too strong for him, his neck ached. With one almighty burst of strength he turned his head away, and his neck was broken by the power of the wind.

Butch awoke in a cold sweat. He glanced at his clock. The luminous numbers read it was only 11 'o clock. He vaguely felt a pain in his neck.

"I'm losing it" he shook his head and went back to sleep.

Scene Poketech High room, Arts 7, period 4

Snap couldn't seem to focus on his photography class, his favourite. His attention was constantly shifting back to Kishi. And then to Brock. Then to Brock and Kishi. He hoped he would run into her accidentally along the school corridors and they would start a conversation up, he would casually mention dinner and...BAM! He would have a date with her. Unfortunately that was just a fantasy and whenever he did try to speak to anyone he was nervous and babbled a lot. Eventually he had given up trying. Now he knew he had to try again.

'I'm not going to speak to Kishi' he thought to himself 'until I am cool and confident around others'

And in an effort to undertake his new idea he turned to Gary and said

"Hi dude" in an over confident loud voice. All heads fixed stony gazes onto him and his heart sunk. No one would accept him. His fate was already carved into stone. Why should he bother living his life the way it was?

"You've made your bed and now you must lie in it" his father's harsh words rang unpleasantly in his ears. Then he started to cry. Right there, in front of all his classmates. He leapt up and ran from the room.

Scene; Period 4 English

Kishi felt unbelievably guilty about what she had done the night before. She hadn't meant to intentionally lead both guys on. She was beginning to have eyes for someone else anyway. Someone she never would have expected to. Ash's thoughts rushed into her head and she tried not to see them, but they were there and she couldn't stop them. He was thinking of Jenny and Misty. Not one single fragment had her name in it. She blocked them from her mind and focused hard at the pencil on her desk. It lifted itself from the table and hung momentarily in the air before she snapped it with her mind. The teacher looked sharply at her and Kishi shrugged, her eyes still glowing blue.

If she didn't have a love life to focus herself on it would mean more time to pursue her psychic capabilities and more time to study for the oncoming mid-term exams. 

"Are you with us, Miss Ogawa?" Mr. Lioshouda asked coldly. 

"Yes, Sensei" she answered in respect

"I'm glad to see that" he said, in a disbelieving tone

Kishi didn't respond. She instead focused on reading Jessi's mind, a habit she had gotten into when she was angry or upset. Jessi was upset too. More like distraught to be truthful. James had stood her up the night before and she was hoping for money and she was depressed. For once Kishi decided it was better to stick to her own thoughts.

Scene; P4 Geography

Cassidy sat there glumly. She had an overdue assignment and if it wasn't handed in tomorrow she'd fail Geography. She hadn't started it and wasn't about to. She kept wishing she could be free from it all. Like those two bikers she had seen down the street the day before. Maybe they'd be at Jessibelle's sister's party. They looked like the partying type.

DING DING DING DING

Went the bell. Cassidy didn't move. She was too pissed off. One thing that had, however, lightened her mood was the rumor that James hadn't bothered to show up to his and Jessi's date. A witness had testified that Jessi had left the building in tears. 'Every cloud has a silver lining' Cassidy sneered mentally. She did feel a little guilty about the blow up she and her long time best friend had suffered that day, but in her opinion the past was the past and nothing could change it. No matter how hard you could try.

Scene; Under Snap's favourite tree

Snap's body was wracked with stricken sobs as he attempted to regain his composure. He was just about to give up on life completely. He felt so alienated. As he looked up through his blurred eyes he something that he had never seen before caught his eye. On the building there was a sign. It was the phone number for a help line. If anyone needs help, it's me, he justified as he scribbled the number on his palm.

Scene; Girls toilets, Lunchtime

Misty sat on the lid of the toilet with her head in her hands. She was under so much pressure, she really couldn't cope. She was behind in all her classes and the mid-terms were so soon, and her sisters were adamant that she quit school to become a Gym Trainer like they were. But Misty didn't want to waste her life giving out poxy badges to spotty teenagers, she wanted to go somewhere, be something. 

A marine biologist, a doctor or an archeologist. She couldn't decide but she knew she'd have to at least pass her Year 10 exams to even attempt any of them. And then there was James. He didn't even seem to register that she was alive, he was always off in his little world, always looking so hot with that dreamy expression on his sweet face. She thought ahead to the party at Lucinda's house. James would have to be there, EVERYONE was. She just hoped she was allowed.

Or did she hope the opposite? Her sisters were bound to give her permission, chances were they'd be there themselves. Maybe, with any luck, they'd make her stay behind and look after the Gym.

She looked up at the scratched inscriptions on the toilet door and smelled the slightly unpleasant odour of cigarettes in the air and stood up, sighing deeply. She at least had to try her best to stay afloat, or she was afraid of what she might do if she didn't...

Scene; Cafeteria, Lunchtime

James couldn't help but look at Gabby as she smiled and chatted with her friends. She was undoubtedly beautiful, with her sparkling blue hair and sea green eyes. He looked across the room and saw a mirror of Gabby, only she wore her blue hair in cute pigtails with a messy fringe. James was confused. Who was that Gabby look-alike? 

"Don't you agree, James?" Jessi asked coyly, leaning across the table so her blouse, almost halfway unbuttoned, showed a little more than he expected.

"What?" he asked in a spaced out voice, unhappy he had been snapped out of his thoughts by that bitch.

"That red suits me more than green" she pouted

"Who cares?" he griped angrily, getting up "You still look like a tart in both"

Scene; Cafeteria, Lunchtime

Jessi's heart skipped a beat and her eyes welled up with tears. Her cheeks ached and she knew she was going to cry. Around her table her friends had their mouths hanging open in shock. She couldn't look them in the eye, instead she got up and ran to the Girls' Room.

As she washed her face she saw a stall door open in the mirror behind her. A red head stepped out. Misty, she snarled to herself, That's all I need right now.

But Misty didn't even bat an eyelid as she washed her hands. Jessi eyed her suspiciously, maybe she was up to something. But no, that wasn't the case because her enemy simply straightened up and without giving Jessi a second glance strode away.

Stranger things have happened, she thought to herself as she cast a disapproving stare at herself in the mirror. She did look like a tart with all that cheap black crud on her face. From now on, she vowed to herself, I promise to look natural and stunning wherever I go.

Scene; Jessibelle's house, Lunchtime, Lucinda & Jessibelle are the only ones home.

Jessibelle nibbled on a chip from the large pile before her. She wasn't particularly hunger, nor did she like fries, but it was better than the disgusting cafeteria food. She had heard all of Charlie's stories about where the food came from and how it was made, and she found herself believing them.

Lucinda sat across the table from her and stayed silent, watching her carefully, as though she was watching a dangerous criminal.

"What?" Jessibelle snarled.

"Nothing" Lucinda growled "Do I have to have an excuse to do everything?"

"Did I say that?" Jessibelle argued, her voice raising in anger.

"Did I say that?" mocked Lucinda.

That did it for Jessibelle. With no apparent warning Jessibelle threw her chair across the table, scattering the meal laid upon it. Lucinda jumped back, the chair narrowly missing her leg. Maddened, she picked it up and put all her strength into hurling it across the table. She looked impressed at the sickening thud as the chair smashed into the side of Jessibelle's head.

Then her sister crashed to the floor and Lucinda's body went cold. 

"Shit!" she cursed in anger and fear. She dashed into the hallway and grabbed the cordless phone from the wall unit and dialed '000'.

To be Continued...

Here's the deal for next time;

The party goes ahead as planned (yay!) and the alcohol is passed around. While his girlfriend is in hospital Butch makes a BIG mistake, Kishi and Gabby are mistaken for one another with disastrous consequences and the party is topped off with tragedy. Someone takes their own life. Who and why?

So stay tuned because the turbulence begins HERE.

Also ALL comments, good or bad, PLEASE! I'd love to hear all opinions and I'll reply to all e mails that are sent (Unless I get a 1000000!) so PLEASE give me some much needed feedback!

Love,

Mew2

Dear Readers, I would like to apologise for the absence of Poketech High 4. I have searched high and low and drawn blank, and don't really feel up to recreation.

The condensed version states...

Firstly, Kishi and Gabby turn up looking pretty much identical, but Kishi is wearing a singlet top and skirt and Gabby is wearing a dress so you can tell them apart, but nobody else seems to be able to.

Jessibelle still lies in hospital, feeling like s***.

Joy takes the opportunity to be a bad girl by accepting some beer from Butch.

Ash gets pissed and tells Misty she's a slut.

Brock tries to kiss Gabby, mistaking her for Kishi.

James kisses Kishi, believing she is Gabby.

Snap hates the party and locks himself in the toilet, and when he finally comes out he accidentally bumps into Gary and the two have a massive fight which Kishi breaks up.

Cassidy drinks too much and feels violently ill.

Misty gets depressed.

Butch and Joy go too far in mind-dead drunkenness and they have a bedroom encounter.

Misty can't stand it any longer, and she throws herself off Jessibelle's roof.

I think that was about all. Damn, I wish I could find it...sorry...

Love from, 

Tenshi_Mew2

___________________________________________________________________________________

Poketech High 5, Breakdown

Last Time there was a party at Lucinda's place, a lot of things happened, but the worst was the suicide attempt by Misty.

Thankfully, she was taken to hospital and found to alive, but barely.

NOTE-

OK Lance from 'Lance's Pokemon Saga' by Mr. Emerid was written into this story as a favor, and a joke. Please don't send e mails to me wanting to be in my stories, because I really can't do that, but I'm THINKING, not doing, about adding another character to 'The Keeper Of The Mewtwos', so maybe in a little while someone will score a part but NOT YET!

Misty lay unconscious on the hard, narrow hospital bed of Cerulean City Hospital. She was connected to a drip and her arms and legs were bandaged. A lone figure watched over her, his hands twisting in guilt.

"I didn't mean it Misty" he whispered "Please come back"

He lowered his gaze to the floor. "Please come back because, because I need you"

Butch was also at the hospital, by Jessibelle's side.

"Belle," he whispered softly as he knelt by her bedside "What happened to you?"

Jessibelle rolled her head over to look at her boyfriend.

"Lucinda" she answered in tears.

"Lucinda?! SHE did this to you?"

Jessibelle nodded.

"You should press charges," he said, tracing his index finger along the bruise that engulfed half her head.

Jessibelle looked at Butch and shook her head "Not to my own sister."

"No one should be able to hurt you, Belle. You mean so much to me, I can't let anything hurt you"

**Then why did you sleep with Joy Ferry?** his conscience taunted.

"You're so sweet, Butch" Jessibelle uttered in a tear choked voice "Promise me that you'll never hurt me"

**Too late for that** he thought.

"Never, Belle, I love you"

"I love you too"

Snap sat at his desk, studying his Strategy Textbook and nursing his wounds. He had a few bruises around his body, the only sign of the fight that he had been involved in so recently.

He hung his head in shame remembering the look on Kishi's face when she had seen him on the floor brawling with Gary. He felt like he had disappointed her somehow, and she had still saved him. She had stepped in before Gary had done him permanent damage, physically. His reputation was already trashed. More than it originally was to begin with anyhow.

He sighed deeply and winced in pain, his ribs aching. He reached over and turned on the radio.

A song he didn't recognise was on. 

'I'm never gonna know you now

But I'm gonna love you anyhow'

The words rang painfully in his ears. The truth really did hurt after all.

James lay sprawled across his King Size Bed deep in thought. He had kissed the girl he had seen in the cafeteria that day, Gabby's cousin. But he didn't feel ashamed, in fact he was quite proud of himself. This girl, Kishi, would provide a great way to make Gabby finally notice him. Maybe she'd even be jealous!

He reached over to his bedside table and pulled down his address book and cordless phone.

He scanned down the 'O's' page until he saw Gabby Ogawa. Then he dialed her number, grinning ear-to-ear.

"It's for me!" Gabby yelled to her father from the kitchen, picking up the cordless phone and turning it on.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Gabby. It's James"

"Oh? I don't think you've ever called before"

James seemed to pause for a moment, as if to decide Gabby's mood.

"Oh, it's not for long" 

"Oh?"

"I was wondering..." he built up purposefully.

Gabby's heart skipped a beat. James, the most popular gut in school, was asking her out on a date, no doubt to some expensive French restaurant!

"Yes," she prompted him excitedly.

"If you had Kishi's number?"

Gabby's heart deflated. Kishi? Who in their right mind would choose KISHI over HER? Clearly all that money had affected James's brain.

"Uh, yeah. Have you got a pen?"

She saw no reason to deny James Kishi's number. After all a psychic and a psycho seemed like such a perfect couple.

"KISHI! IT'S FOR YOU!" yelled Martin, the psychic with the long dark brown hair who trained with her and Sabrina.

Kishi looked up from the deck of cards that Sabrina was testing her with in surprise. She had never had a call directed to the Gym, it must have been very important.

Sabrina had already worked out who and why, Kishi could see it in her eyes.

"You need to start dating again. Anything to give you a personal life OF YOUR OWN!" Kishi cried in mock anger.

"So do you!" Sabrina giggled "How long has it been since you had a date?"

"I'm answering the phone now!" Kishi called back as she ran up to Martin.

"Thanks" she said and took the phone from his hand.

"Hello?"

"Hi," said an unfamiliar male voice.

"Uh hi. Gabby isn't here" Kishi said, guessing that this guy had mistaken her number for her cousin's.

"I'm not here to call Gabby" said the guy "I'm here to call you. You see I called Gabby and she gave me your home number, and your mother said to call you at Saffron Gym"

"Mmm" Kishi answered "Who are you?"

"James."

"Why, of all people, did you decide to call ME then? Remember the party, you jerk!"

"Look, Kishi, that kiss meant a lot more to me than a kiss from your cousin would ever mean"

Kishi was sure James had rehearsed his little speech prior to his call.

"And what are you saying?" played Kishi.

"Will you go out with me on Sunday night, to Food de Love?" 

Kishi gasped. That was one of the most expensive restaurants in town!

"I 'spose. I've got nothing else on"

"Cool. See you at eight?"

"Uh-huh"

"Bye"

"See ya!"

Kishi turned to Sabrina and grinned.

"You said something about me needing a date?"

Cassidy leant on the Bike Shop window trying to look cool. Her stomach was swirling around and around in her body, an unpleasant side-affect of her sickness on the night of the party. She was still waiting for those bikers to return.

Jessi reckoned that there was something wrong with her, like she was obsessed or something.

**But Jessi is a fine one to talk!** Cassidy fumed bitterly **She's obsessed with JAMES of all people**

Just as Cassidy was about to leave she saw a strange silhouette striding towards her. As the figure neared Cassidy saw it was actually a guy, of an age she couldn't determine, as he was wearing a hat, sunglasses and a long black overcoat. 

Cassidy casually flipped some strands of her cascading honey colored hair over her shoulder and waited for the effect it would have on him.

He walked straight past her as if he couldn't see her.

Cassidy was shocked, men always dropped at their feet drooling when they saw her. She stared after him, noticing the dark brown ponytail at the back of his head. She took that as a clue to him being young, around her age, sixteen, seventeen, around that area.

Then she supposed he was blind, after all he was wearing glasses...

**Of course!** she thought happily **That would explain why he totally pretended I wasn't there! I'm not losing my touch after all!**

Suddenly the guy turned and walked back to her, his walk was not that of a blind man, but that of a bored teenager.

"Hello?" she said guardedly, maybe the guy was some psycho killer or something.

"Do you know where the school is?"

**What kind of dumb question is that?** Cassidy thought.

"It's the weekend." She answered.

"But do you know?" the guy repeated.

Cassidy was about to open her mouth and tell him when she suddenly had a better idea. She would stall him for a while to find out all about him.

"Who wants to know?" she asked coyly.

"I do." He answered, playing the same game.

"Who's that?"

"You won't give up 'til I tell you, will you?"

Cassidy shook her head.

"Fine, although you won't believe me."

"Try me."

He shrugged boredly. "Lance."

"Hah? Lance of the Elite Four, DRAGON Lance? Where's your cape?" Cassidy laughed spitefully. Lance, if that was his really his name, was going all out to impress her.

Lance shrugged again, although he had done this many times before.

"Not that Lance," he said, taking off his glasses and looking at the pavement "Someone a lot more scary". He looked into Cassidy's eyes and she screamed. His eyes were milky white, and he had no pupils!

Brock was raging inside about the way Kishi had blown him off the night before. He had thought she was so nice too. As he rounded the corner of Kishi's street he saw her Teleport out infront of her house. She sensed his presence and locked ayes with him.

This was it, the big showdown, Brock certainly had a lot to say to that bitch!

To Be Continued...

What will Brock say to Kishi? What's the deal with Lance? Will Misty awaken? Will James's attempt to get Gabby end up in failure, or will he fall for Kishi instead? Is Jessi over James? What's the matter with Joy? Where has Jenny disappeared to? Will Jessibelle find out about Butch and Joy? What is Snap going to do? Who does Gary have in his sights? Is Ash losing it? And is Gabby going to flunk Year Ten?

Well as I'm only human (I hope) there probably isn't a chance in hell that I can answer all those questions, but I'd be very happy if you read my next story anyway.

Love,

Mew2


	3. Default Chapter Title

**SPECIAL NOTICE**  
Read the special notice at the bottom of this   
Page.  
  
Poketech High 6  
  
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?  
  
The money struggles of the gang.  
  
  
  
"Ash," addressed Daisy solemnly "We have some terrible news. We can't afford to keep Misty's life support on, the Gym isn't raking in enough cash."  
"What?" Ash cried, tears streaming into his eyes "You gotta do something to save her!"  
"Maybe you could organize a fundraiser or something." Lily suggested.  
"I guess," said Ash thoughtfully.  
"Get together with your friends," suggested Rose "You'll work out something"  
"Thanks," said Ash hollowly as he walked to the door of the Gym. Things weren't going his way, at all. If only he was rich...  
  
  
  
  
"Brock, I don't have time for a fight." Kishi said, standing her ground.  
"Yeah, well I'm sure they were your intentions on the night of the party."  
"I didn't even see you there!"  
"Bullshit! Why the hell did you scream in my face than? You in your tarty blue dress!"  
"Excuse me, I wasn't wearing a dress, Gabby...Gabby was. What the fuck did you do to Gabby?"  
Brock hung his head.  
"Get lost, Brock" Kishi said calmly "Get your facts right next time."  
Brock turned on his heel and slowly made his way across the road.  
Fuming Kishi opened the door to the house. Instantly, the phone rang.  
"I'll get it! It's for me!" Kishi yelled, picking it up. She already knew it was Ash, and her heart was leaping with excitement.  
"Hi Kishi," he said drowsily.  
"Hi," she answered brightly.  
"Look I need to talk to someone, you're the only one around"  
"Oh," Kishi said, making it difficult for Ash to understand how she felt.  
"Daisy and the others, they can't afford to keep Misty going...and I rang Jenny and I ended up with the lady who says my call can't be connected, please check the number..."  
"What? Misty? No way?"  
"Uh-huh" sobbed Ash "If only I was rich"  
"James is, I could try and get some off him on our date..." She trailed off, realising that she hadn't meant to tell Ash about her date with James.  
"Good for you" snuffled Ash bitterly.  
"I could always...enter the lottery! That's it!" Kishi exclaimed.  
"Are you kidding you'll never win, it's a waste of money."  
"Not necessarily" Kishi answered "Gotta go, bye!"  
  
  
  
Kishi felt incredibly bad as she fingered the lottery ticket in her purse. She was all dressed up for her date and waiting for outside her house for James to show up. The air was humid and the sky was deep purple. Her skirt was riding up her leg and her hair was falling out.  
"Where are you James?" Kishi whispered in annoyance.  
As if by magic his red convertible pulled up infront of her house.  
"Hi," he said opening her door from the inside.  
"Hi," she answered back uncertainly, holding the hem of her red miniskirt so it wouldn't ride all the way up to her waist as she sat down.   
"You look nice," James said.  
"Thanks." Kishi said simply.   
**What on earth do I say next?** Kishi wondered **I wish I knew the proper protocol for dates**  
James didn't however notice her discomfort and he drove off towards the restaurant.  
"This is a nice car," complimented Kishi appreciatively.  
"Thanks. I got it for my birthday." James said, closing the conversation off again. Kishi sighed and leant her arm against the window.  
  
After what seemed like an age they arrived at Food de Love and looking like a superstar couple they walked inside.  
  
  
  
Jessi turned a full circle in the mirror and then wrinkling her nose in distaste she threw the red dress that she was holding up onto her bed. She'd already worn it so many times before that everyone recognized it.  
She opened her wardrobe again and sighed. There was a pair of miniature ballet slippers, an orange scarf and a pile of dust bunnies.  
She had systematically checked through every item in her closet and was empty handed. She badly needed some new clothes, but there was no way on Earth she could afford any.  
**James already thinks I'm a cheap slut anyway** she told herself **Why should I bother to get nice things if he won't see them?**  
  
  
  
Kishi excused herself from the table and walked over to the TV screen, where Poke Lotto was showing. Kishi hid her eyes with her hand as they glowed blue, changing the numbers around, controlling the mechanical arm that plucked them from the rotating sphere.  
"THAT'S MY NUMBER!" She exclaimed loudly and happily. She ran up to James and kissed him, thanked him for the lovely evening and than she ran out of the room and teleported a nearby payphone.  
  
  
  
Misty lay in the dark of the night, her lifeless body shrouded in a pale white sheet.  
Daisy placed a tender hand on Misty's arm, crying, she told Misty that she couldn't afford to keep her alive.  
Misty was so motionless that Daisy suspected she was already gone.  
"Oh Misty..." Daisy sobbed "Please pull through..."  
  
  
  
  
Jenny packed her things into her bag again and gave her father an angry look. He returned it as he ushered her out the door. Winston, the security guard, rushed her into the black van infront of the hotel, almost invisible in the night sky.  
  
  
  
Joy held her gut in pain as she doubled over, sliding her English textbook of her desk. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her hair disheveled and messy, her face tired and worn.  
She had had her taste of the spice of life, and never wanted to sample it again. Things had been so out of control that night...out of her grasp.   
The pain subsided and was replaced by a newer one, guilt.  
  
  
  
Lance hung in the air, his feet not touching the ground. He looked around the park for people around and once he was satisfied he was alone he rested on the park bench, dozing in silence and fear.  
  
  
  
  
Sabrina glanced up from the candle infront of her.  
"Kishi!" she gasped in disbelief. How could Kishi have done such a thing?  
  
  
  
Gary looked over the school photos again, reading the fine print with stricken eyes.   
'Absent- Cassidy Birches'  
He glared at the paper in rage, blaming it for not showing the beautiful girl he felt so strongly towards.  
He knew very little about Cassidy, except that she spent a lot of time at a bike shop. He had heard from Gabby, who was across the road at the time, that she was talking to a really freaky guy in a black coat. She'd reckoned it was drug swapping, but Gary wasn't sure. Was Cassidy a real live drug dealer? His heart leapt. It was so exciting! If he had some cash he could buy some grass, and BOOM perfect opportunity to meet her! But only if he had the money.  
  
  
  
Cassidy tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Something was plaguing her, something out of reach...  
**It's just that freak** Cassidy told herself, the image of Lance's eyes still fresh in her mind **Anyone would be disturbed after seeing that nightmare**  
But it wasn't that and she knew it. That guy was different, he was strange, and Cassidy had a terrible feeling that he would be in her life again, where he was not wanted.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
  
**SPECIAL NOTICE**  
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVE CHARACTER & COUPLE!  
  
Yes you have the amazing chance to vote for your favourite stars! AND who the best couple would be!  
Please direct all votes to me via e mail (NOT comments) and get them in before, uh, soon.   
I will be issuing the most popular couple and star in Poketech High 8, so you have now and number 7 to vote so get your pens ready, the voting commences now!  
  
Thankyou for your support and friendship (Aren't I so sweet!?)  
  
LOVE AND KISSES!  
Mew2  
  



	4. Default Chapter Title

Poketech High 7  
  
AUTHORS NOTE_ Satoshi Tajiri was the author of Pokemon, for all you out there who didn't know, I'm telling you now so you don't get confused later on. Thanks!   
  
  
NOTE TO AMERICAN VIEWERS- I had no idea about this until I read one of Shaowcat's fics so I thought if anyone else didn't know, I'd tell them now.  
In America Snap is Todd, in Australia Todd is Snap. Do you get that, it sounds too confusing so here I go again.  
In the Australian (and Canadian) series of Pokemon there is a character called Snap, but the US editors or whoever didn't like that name, so they took the episodes he was in and re-dubbed them, changing his name to Todd.  
Todd suits him more but in true Aussie style I will call him Snap!  
  
Lance stirred from the park bench as soon as the first light of morning shone through the leaves. He heard a rustling behind him and sharply turned to face it.  
"Hitmonchan!" he cried in delight, rushing to greet the Pokemon with open arms.  
"Mon, Hitmon chan. (No hugs please)" said Hitmonchan, struggling free.  
"Took you a while."  
"Hitmon chan chan, hitmon mon. (Your parents were watching over me for ages)"  
"It's our first day of school today"  
"Monchan? (Will they let me through the gates?)"  
"They'd better." Lance said threateningly, making a fist.  
  
  
  
Jessi awoke to the sound of the front door slamming. Still rubbing her eyes she noticed Miranda enter her room.  
"Go away" Jessi moaned.  
"Shut up, Jess," Miranda hissed "Mum just kicked Dad out of the house."  
"What?" Jessi asked, hoping this was just a bad dream.  
"I'm not kidding, Jess, things are looking really bad"  
Jessi looked up into her sister's eyes and saw all the pain and fear going on inside her.  
"Dad'll be back by the end of the day." Jessi promised, knowing her heart that both she and Miranda didn't believe it.  
  
  
  
  
"Good 'ol school" Cassidy sighed as she and Jessi walked in the gate together  
"OHMIGOD!" Cassidy screeched, pulling Jessi to a halt "There is that freak I saw the other day"  
She motioned to Lance and Hitmonchan.  
"Let's go and tease him." Cassidy said, dragging Jessi over.  
"Hi Lance." Cassidy sneered.  
"Cassidy." He nodded vaguely.  
"This is Jessi."  
"Hi Jessi."  
"Hi." She said, not paying attention in the slightest.  
"Where's your school uniform?" asked Cassidy.  
Lance just shrugged.  
"You can't go to class like that. Speaking of class you have to go the Main Office to pick up a timetable, but they won't let you keep your Pokemon with you."  
"They might. Where's the office?"  
"Down there." Cassidy pointed, sneering as Lance and Hitmonchan walked away.  
"Told ya he was a freak," Cassidy said, turning to Jessi "Jessi?"  
To her shock Jessi, the immovable, was crying.  
  
  
  
Sabrina turned her mind over and over again, trying to dislodge the answer she needed. Should she dob Kishi into the cops?  
Martin and her father, Calvin, were using picture cards to practice their skills on in the corner, and hadn't noticed her dilemma. Her mother, Selina, was too busy with Haunter to pay attention to her either.   
She had to make the decision herself, and unfortunately she had already made it.  
  
  
  
  
Lance walked out of the Principal's office with a big grin on his face. He slapped Hitmonchan a discreet high five.  
He had convinced the Principal to let Hitmonchan stay with him, because he was famous and Hitmonchan was his bodyguard.  
When Prof. Oak hadn't believed him he had used the white light to call forward a sword, and that pretty well convinced the Headmaster.  
Lance checked his timetable and saw he was in H4 for English first period and then M6 for Maths.  
Still smiling he wandered out of the foyer and into the dazzling light of the yard.  
  
  
  
  
Kishi stifled a yawn. She had a spare, so she was in the library researching her English paper. She was supposed to be doing a biography on Satoshi Tajiri, but was getting nowhere.  
Guilt was eating her up from the inside. Before school she had donated a lot of cash to the Waterflowers, and she'd felt good then, but now all she felt was guilt.  
She had no right to win that contest, no matter the circumstances. She should have helped Ash and his fund raising efforts, instead of controlling the outcome of a lottery.  
Kishi knew by now that what she had done was a criminal offence, and she could be jailed for it. **Who would know? ** she asked herself **Ash...maybe not, but...SABRINA!**  
"Oh shit!" Kishi moaned. Sabrina wouldn't give their friendship a second thought if she knew Kishi was up to no good.  
Kishi just hoped that Sabrina hadn't already reported her, she needed to explain to someone, anyone...  
  
  
  
  
Gabby brushed her hair away from her eyes casually. She was sitting up the back pretending to pay attention to her Accounting teacher as he waffled on about God knows what.  
What she was really thinking about was James and Kishi. Sure she didn't exactly care about James, but the day when the most popular guy in school chose her geeky cousin over her sure was an embarrassment.   
And Gary STILL barely knew she existed.  
She sighed.  
Growing up was never meant to be easy.  
  
  
  
Snap kept glancing up from his Photography book to look across the library at Kishi.   
She hadn't spoken to him since, well he couldn't even remember, and he was definitely to shy to go up to her.  
She didn't deserve someone like him, she deserved a lot better. Someone who could at least hold a five-minute conversation would be a start.  
Snap bowed his head and scanned down the page so fast the words barely made sense.   
**Sense... ** he thought **Sixth sense...**  
It was no secret that Kishi was psychic, but it hadn't ever registered in his brain that she could read his mind.  
**What if she's reading it now? ** he asked himself **God what a fool I've been! **  
  
  
  
Lance walked in the door to M6 late, but at the same time as a blue haired girl. The only three seats in the room were side by side in middle row.  
The girl shrugged and took the window seat, he sat down next to her and Hitmonchan next to him.  
"Why is there is a Pokemon in the room?" Miss Haruna exploded.  
Lance said he had the principal's permission, and if she didn't like it she could argue it with him.  
The teacher was obviously quite rattled, but wasn't sure if she wanted to push the boy, so she continued to take role call.  
He was introduced and everyone had a good stare. He didn't really bother to learn anyone's names. He found out that the girl next to him with the pigtails was Kishi Ogawa, which wasn't particularly interesting but he didn't care.  
Through the lesson Lance kept noticing the strange glances Kishi was sending him, but he tried to ignore them.  
Once class was finally over the girl stopped him from getting up.  
"OK, let's make this brief, you have a very strange aura, like nothing I've ever seen before,"  
Lance shrugged. "What's it to you?"  
" A lot. You're not a psychic, but you're not an average human. What's the story?"  
" Not that you care but, when I was a kid I was hit by a powerful psychic attack by Alakazam. I've had powers ever since."  
"Powers?" Kishi asked as she bundled her books up and ushered Lance and Hitmonchan out the door before Miss Haruna got suss.  
"Flying, recreating objects, increased agility"  
"Oh OK" Kishi said, confused.  
"How did you know I had powers or whatever?"  
"I," she said, tapping the bridge of her nose "Have some as well."  
And then Lance watched as the first person he'd ever spoken to properly at the school walked away.  
"Mon Hitmon? (Like 'er do ya?)"  
"Get real, Hitmonchan" Lance said "Get real."  
  
  
  
  
Daisy, Lily and Violet stood by Misty's hospital bed, thankful that their baby sister was still alive, thanks to Kishi.  
They had no idea how Kishi had forked up the cash, but for theirs and Ash's sakes, they were very glad.  
  
  
  
  
Jenny slept heavily as the van lumbered along the city road. All around it were cars from the Program.  
Her mother and father watched over her as they were taken to their third destination. The Program hadn't told them where it would be to avoid any slip ups, like last time.  
Sgt. Lowwater was beginning to wish he'd never smashed up that drug ring in the first place. Nothing was worth endangering the lives of those he cared about.  
He flipped open his wallet and removed a card.  
Witness Protection Program ID.  
He tore it up.  
  
  
Sabrina waited at the Police Station, hands folded in her lap. After a while an older man came out and let her into his office space.  
"What seems to be the trouble there, miss?" he asked kindly in a southern accent.  
"I'd like to report a case of...cheating" she decided, not knowing how to word it.  
"Did someone beat cha at Monopoly, sweetie?" he teased. "Us cops don't 'ave time to play around with little girlies"  
"No. Someone rigged the Lottery so they'd win." Sabrina said angrily "But if that is a waste of time, I'll leave"  
She got up.  
"Sit down" the officer said "Who and when?"  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Blah...Bo-RING! There are some scorchers of episodes coming up soon, so don't give up on me yet.  
Will the cops believe Sabrina? Is it curtains for Kishi? Will Jessi's parents get back together or has the family just lost it's only supply of income? Will Jenny ever return to Cerulean City, and what shady business has her father been up to?  
  
  
Dedications... Everyone reading this, especially Mr. Emerid, Shadowcat, all my school pals and uh...My Color Gameboy (?!)  
  
  
Should I make a theme song for Poketech High like I made one for the Keeper of The Mewtwos? Also any ideas for Romancing the Rose would be gratefully accepted, although I can be pretty fussy at times...  
  
Love,  
Mew2  
  
  
  
  
  
PS- Keep those votes coming!  
  
Ash & Kishi are the most popular characters so far, so if you disagree to that PLEEEASE vote and tell me! AND maybe you could vote for a Keeper of the Mewtwos theme song at the same time!!!!!!  
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Default Chapter Title

Poketech High 8, You Have the Right to Remain Silent  
  
  
And the winners of the popularity poll are...  
1. Kishi  
2. Ash  
3. Snap  
  
The best couple is...  
1. Ash and Misty  
2. Ash and Kishi  
3. Ash and Jessi  
  
And as for the theme song- I am still scouting around, thinking about silverchair or Hole, possibly Rebecca's Empire. Maybe 'Hey You' or 'Sixteen' by No Doubt. You can suggest ideas for songs if you like (please do!)  
But I would like to thank Mr. Emerid for the Pink Panther music, of which I'm mulling over the possibilities, it would certainly be very cool!  
  
  
  
  
The bell for Lunch rang and the usual announcements followed over the crackly PA system.  
The principal read a long list of the people who were required at the main office, either by him or another member of staff.  
"And finally Kishi Ogawa could you please come to the office immediately, please, Kishi Ogawa"  
"YOU?!" Gabby said, choking on her tongue as she headed towards the locker bay "You wild thang, you!"  
"Watch it!" Kishi threatened playfully, stashing her books in her locker.  
"Hi Kishi," said James from behind her  
"Oh hiya James, you gave me a fright!" Kishi flustered a little.  
"Hi Gabby," nodded James boredly.  
"Do ya wanna come to the office with me?" Kishi asked her cousin and her sort-of boyfriend.  
"I dunno..." James said slowly, waiting for Gabby to make a decision.  
"Yeah." Said Gabby.  
"I guess I'll have time..." James said, making it sound like he was sacrificing something important.  
"Cool."  
  
A little while later the three arrived at the office.  
Two Police Officers were leaning casually against the wall.  
Kishi's heart leapt and her skin glowed blue. Sabrina!  
"Kishi Ogawa?" said one of the men.  
James gave Gabby a confused look, but not even she could shed some enlightenment on the situation.  
Kishi nodded weakly.  
"You're under arrest."  
The officer on the right slapped the cuffs around Kishi's slender wrists.  
"You have the right to remain silent, but anything you say can, and will, be taken down against you and used as evidence."  
"I know." She breathed hoarsely.  
  
  
  
  
Daisy, Lily and Violet were at Cerulean Hospital once again, as they had just received a call saying Misty's condition had steadily improved.  
"Misty?" asked Daisy softly "Can you hear me, sis?"  
As Daisy held Misty's frail hand in her own she was sure she felt her younger sister move.  
"Misty?" asked Violet excitedly, obviously noticing it too.  
This time Misty definitely stirred. Her eyelids fluttered open.  
"Ash?" she wheezed, struggling to get up.  
"NURSE!" Lily shrieked as loud as she could.  
"Ash isn't here, sis," said Violet softly, crouching beside Daisy and putting a hand on her arm.  
"...good..." sighed Misty, relaxing once more.  
  
  
  
  
  
Cassidy slipped out the front gate and snuck down the street to the Bike Shop. She still didn't know what attracted her to it, apart from the hope she'd meet the two cool bikers she'd seen the previous week. And even standing around seemed better than listening to everyone yell and swear all lunchtime.  
Cassidy positioned herself casually against the shop window and hitched her skirt up, and unbuttoned the bottom half of her shirt.  
To her total and utter shock two instantly recognizable figures slipped out the door.  
"Why did we bother to come back to this dump?" hissed the green haired girl as she slammed the door.  
"It is a dump, isn't it?" said Cassidy from the sidelines "I'm itchin' to get outta here and onto the open road"  
The girl turned the guy and smiled.  
"You got a bike?" he asked Cassidy.  
"Nah,"  
"That can be arranged."  
  
  
  
  
The school was buzzing with excitement come mid-lunchtime. Everyone knew about Kishi's arrest, and rumors were flying.  
Not even Gabby, the Queen of Gossip, knew why her cousin was arrested, but she suspected it had something to do with the lottery.  
Snap was too amazed to eat his lunch. Kishi had seemed like a really nice, studious, hard-working girl, but nice, studious, hard-working girls didn't go to jail so that said a lot for his judgement.  
He noticed Brock across the cafeteria talking in an animated fashion to Ash, ten guesses about what.  
**It's a pity** thought Snap **Kishi was the closest I had to a friend here**  
He was a loner once more. A geek. A social outcast with no friends. Surprisingly he welcomed the thought, it was as though Kishi had betrayed him in a way.  
**Yep** he thought **It's definitely safer to be a loner, you don't need to worry about whether your friends really like you or not, or whether they just liked you so they could be popular, or whether they would lead you into trouble...Yep. Definitely safer to be alone.**  
  
  
  
  
Joy fidgeted nervously with her lunch bag. She hadn't touched her food, as she hadn't for quite a while.  
She'd felt too sick to eat breakfast, and she skipped it for the fifth time in a row. Her parents were getting worried about her, and so was she.  
Could it be that she was pregnant? Or had some incurable STD?  
She was a day or so late, but that didn't count much, although she was usually fairly regular.  
God. What would her parents do to her if she was pregnant? They'd kill her. They were so respectable and sophisticated, what would they do when all their friends found out? **Social death,** Joy thought **So I can't tell them.**  
**But how am I supposed to keep a secret like THAT? Especially when I start to balloon**  
**Relax,** she chided herself mentally **You're not pregnant, yet. If you're worried, pick up a tester at the Chemists**  
**They'll tell my parents** she told herself.  
**They can't. It's against the law or something.**  
Joy sighed. She might as well go for it.  
Her mind kept churning up all the articles she'd ever read about teenage pregnancy. These were added stress for all her exams coming up.  
**And these are the best years of my life...**  
  
  
  
  
~~~~~SPECIAL SECTION~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
THE TRUTH ABOUT JENNY LOWWATER  
Her father was a good, thorough cop, and he'd found some evidence that could bust a big-time drug lord. The dealers cronies had found out that Sgt. Lowwater was giving evidence against them and hunted him down. Now he, his wife and daughter were in the Witness Protection Program fleeing from all of the thugs the drug dealer was sending their way.   
Things were tough, but they were about to get tougher...  
"I'm sick of this, Dad." Jenny complained, scratching at a coffee stain on the chipped hotel coffee table.   
"Just give it up, Robert, I don't want to live like this," Jenny's mother, Sharon, agreed.  
"But by giving evidence I'm stopping this happening to other families," Robert argued back.  
Jenny wanted to point out how unlikely it was that it would ever happen to anyone else, but decided not to. The last thing her father needed was a family feud on his hands. He had enough on his plate already.  
Suddenly the hotel room door flew open and Jenny screamed...  
  
  
  
  
  
Sabrina closed her eyes for a second. She felt overwhelmingly guilty. What kind of person would send a friend to jail, and let that person's best friend die because there was no money to keep her alive.  
She had just totally screwed Kishi's life. Even if Kishi only got a short sentence Sabrina knew it would get in the way of any training she wished to take. She couldn't become the world's best psychic, or trainer, because of her record. Her career was well and truly stuffed.  
**But she did do the wrong thing,** Sabrina consoled herself **And I can never forgive her for that**  
  
  
  
  
  
Lance had already finished lunch by the time the shocking news had reached him.  
Kishi, the first person in the entire school to start a serious conversation with him (however weird the conversation was) had been ARRESTED!  
"Mon chan, hitmon (The school has a lot of excitement)" Hitmonchan observed.  
"You could say that..." Lance said mysteriously.   
Hitmonchan gave him a puzzled look and went back to stripping a milk carton to slivers.  
"Monchan, hitmonchan hitmon (You're seriously weird)"  
Lance shrugged. He honestly didn't know how to feel.   
He saw some guy with brown spiky hair glare at him.  
"Hey! He's the guy who gave drugs to Cass!"  
"WHAT?!" Lance yelled in utter shock.  
"Funny how Kishi was arrested right after being seen with you!" Gary sneered menacingly "I'm onto you buddy"  
Then he slammed into Lance on his way out of the cafeteria.  
Lance's blood began to boil.   
Hitmonchan tugged on his sleeve, but Lance brushed him away.  
"Hitmonchan (We'll get him later, Ok?)"  
"Yeah," Lance sneered, adjusting his Parks' Gym cap "Later."  
Then he stormed off after Gary.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
What will Misty say to Ash? What's in store for Kishi? Will Lance kill Gary? Is Joy pregnant? Will Cassidy leave Poketech High? Who burst into Jenny's room?  
  
Some of your questions will be answered next time...  
  
Love and Kisses,  
Mew2  



	6. Default Chapter Title

Poketech High 9,  
  
Hmmm...a mysterious offering for next episode 10, the weather bureau are picking up an ominous warning of Hurricane Scyther...  
  
  
  
"The magistrate is a very busy person." Snapped one of the arresting officers, Constable Carter as he pushed Kishi into an overnight holding cell. "Your case won't be heard until late tomorrow afternoon. Your lawyer will be with you shortly."  
Kishi's heart sank as the police officer bolted the door. What had she done? More importantly, why had she done it?  
Kishi stared blankly at the graffiti-laden cell wall. She wondered if Misty was doing OK. She wondered how James and Gabby were feeling. She wondered how Snap and Brock felt. She wondered what Lance was thinking. She wondered if Sabrina would ever forgive her. She wondered if she could ever be sure of anything in her life, and then she broke down into tears, her legs splaying out beneath her and her hands slipping down the cold iron bars.  
As she knelt there, doubled over with despair, she wondered what was going to happen to her.  
Most people imagined that a psychic and a clairvoyant were the same thing, when in fact the two were quite different. Psychics did have limited clairvoyance, mainly symbolic, but any prediction they made usually was obtained by scrying, that is, gazing into a reflective surface in a trance-like state to obtain symbolic references to questions asked by them or another person near by.  
Kishi had a nice little crystal ball on her desk at home. It had served her well in the past, and Kishi guessed that she might not ever see it again.  
  
  
  
  
  
Meanwhile, back at the campus, Cassidy has returned. She walks into the quadrangle just as the period 5 bell rings.  
"Jess!" she cried out to her friend "You'll never believe it!"  
"You need to tuck your shirt in." Jessi observed grimly, not looking her usual firey self.  
"No, don't be dumb, you remember those bikers we saw ages ago? At the Bike Shop?"  
Jessi shrugged, her face surprisingly naked without any make-up on. She looked as though she had been crying again. But Cassidy didn't care about whatever problems Jessi was having. She just wanted to share the good news with someone.  
"Well they've asked me to go with them to Sunny Town! They've got me a ride and they're picking me up at the gates tonight"  
  
  
  
  
Gary tried to hide his shock. Cassidy was leaving! He only had the rest of the day to convince her to stay. He didn't even share any classes with her in that time. It was now or never.  
"Cass? Can I speak to you in private for a sec?" he gulped. Cassidy shot him a puzzled look and gave Jessi a little wave.  
The two walked over to the timetable, pretending to read what they had next.  
"Are you, are you uh, really leaving tonight?"  
"Yeah. They'll pick me up and then we'll go to my place and get some stuff and then there is nothing but the open road. Pure freedom."  
Gary looked at the bitumen, unsure of what to say next. He was never nervous around girls, and he knew it, but why should Cassidy be any different from the others? **Because she is so special** he answered himself **She is worth all this trouble**  
"Do you want to go?" he inquired slowly.  
"Of course. What fool would turn up an opportunity like this? It'll be great."  
Gary couldn't think of anything to say.   
"Can I go now?" Cassidy snapped irritably, turning away from him.  
"Don't go," he squeaked.  
"I'd like to get to class now," she snapped, misinterpreting the message.  
"No, you don't understand. Don't leave."  
Cassidy whirled around and locked eyes with him. Gary shifted feet uncomfortably.  
"What do you mean?" she asked a little more softly.  
"I don't want you to go, I'll miss you,"  
"In what way?" Cassidy asked slyly, purposely making it difficult for him.  
"I care about you Cass, I care a lot. Please don't leave." He pleaded.  
Cassidy looked away. She'd never bet on this.  
"Look, Gary, just give me time to think OK? This was too sudden. I need to think about it, sort it all out. I'm goin' now. Bye."  
And Gary watched on with mixed emotions as the girl he cared most about walked off to class.  
  
  
  
James picked another piece out of his rubber and flicked it across the room. It hit that Lance dude on the shoulder. Lance turned around, his sunglasses catching the light.  
James sneered. Lance was a freak. Only a freak would take a Pokemon everywhere. He'd heard some of the druggo stories that Gary had made up, but in his opinion, the Hitmonchan was protection from bullies, and that, in James's opinion made him a bigger freak than Snap. James looked a couple of seats left of Lance and he saw Snap, busily sketching in his Art Book. James had never been a fan of 2D Art, but the class had seemed like a bludge so he had decided to take it, even after failing it in Year 9. Most of the popular people did 2D Art, but unfortunately, so did a lot of freaks.  
Gabby was usually in class, but she had been really distraught after Kishi's arrest. James supposed the two had been closer than they'd let others believe. Ever that or she was pulling a con-job. You could never be sure.   
Right now Gabby was probably in the school councilors office. The councilor was a large woman named Ms. Holly, but the kids all called her by her first name, Airi. She had a habit of wearing eye-damagingly-bright clothes and talking very loudly. Everyone liked her.  
James suddenly got a very good idea for him and Gabby to spend some time together. He began to fake-cry, a skill he had acquired as a young child.  
"What's wrong, James?" inquired their hippie art teacher, Ms. Thompson.   
"My-my girlfriend, she was, (sob, sob) arrested..."  
Had Ms. Thompson not heard of the arrest today she probably would have given James a detention, but instead she said softly.  
"Do you want to speak to Ms. Holly?"  
James nodded and forced the lump out of his throat. Ms. Thompson nodded him out of the room and turned back to the class.  
  
  
  
Snap gazed at the open door with his mouth hanging open. Kishi was with James? He had never even known, until just then. He'd never even suspected. They hadn't spent much time together.  
**I really am a total loser** he sighed mentally **I didn't even notice the girl I care for had a boyfriend, I was too worried about the impression that I had made on her**  
He scribbled out the portrait he had planned to give to Kishi when he saw her and instead drew a long, shining dagger being held in a tattooed hand. The harsh symbol was so unlike his usual portraits and landscapes that he just sat back for a minute, admiring it. He liked it better.  
  
  
  
  
Hitmonchan stared hard at Lance, trying to work out how he was feeling about James and Kishi. Lance turned to glare at him, so Hitmonchan attempted to pick up a red pencil in his gloved hand, the pencil slipped out his hand and across the table. Hitmonchan gave it another try and successfully grabbed it. He gave Lance a lop-sided grin and Lance gave him a funny look and then turned back to the scribbling on his page.  
Hitmonchan turned his gaze back to his long-time friend.  
"Stop it will you," sighed Lance "You're barking up the wrong tree,"  
Hitmonchan made an innocent face and pretended to draw. The led skidded across the page and snapped.  
"I know what you are thinking and it is not true." Lance said, handing Hitmonchan the green pencil he was indicating for.  
Hitmonchan tried to suppress his grin but couldn't, so instead he focused all his attention on doing a straight line. It was the first time Hitmonchan had ever tried to draw, and the experience was overwhelming for him.  
"By the way, what the hell are you drawing?"  
Hitmonchan held up the picture for his friend to see. It was wobbly and off-center, but Lance could immediately tell what it was of.  
"Hitmonchan!," he laughed a little shyly "People don't kiss like THAT!"  
  
  
  
  
  
Butch sighed and tried to focus on his English Paper, but his eyes kept meeting with Joy's across the library.  
She didn't look the same as when Butch had first become attracted to her. She was looking slightly disheveled, and her red eyes told that she had been crying. Butch wondered if he had got her pregnant, but he quickly cancelled the thought. He didn't want to be thinking about that when Jessibelle came back. She had been discharged from hospital the day before, after the doctors were utterly sure that there was no damage done to her brain. She had spent the day resting, but would return tomorrow. He'd seen her the previous day, and she had a bulky white bandage coiled around her head, but other than that she looked like the same old Belle he had fallen in love with.   
However the question of whether he still loved her or not hung unpleasantly in his mind, and he was beginning to wonder what he had seen in Joy Ferry.  
He dropped his head heavily into his hands. Things certainly weren't getting any easier, and it was so close to exam time. He wondered if he would get close to passing at all.  
Sometimes he wished he were dead.  
  
  
  
  
  
Cassidy flipped absently through the pages of her English Text. She had so much on her mind, what with Gary's sudden confession.  
Should she risk it all and go, or find a new, secure love and stay?   
She was torn between the two choices. Her head told her to stay, but her heart told her to leave. She had always obeyed her heart, at least up until now.  
It was true she'd never held a very special place in heart for Gary, but his sudden declaration of love had struck her hard. He'd seemed to have been expressing real emotion, not the blubbery crap people were talking these days.  
After another moments thought she decided that she was going to go, because she didn't love him and there was nothing left for her here. But she promised herself to tell him first.  
  
  
  
  
  
The bell rang to end sixth period and hundreds of students swarmed out of classrooms to put their books away, eager to get home and put their feet up. Jessi was eager to do something else, however, and she didn't bother to put her books away.  
She saw who she wanted waiting at the front gate and ran towards them.  
  
  
  
"I've decided to go," Cassidy told Gary "It is too good an opportunity to miss."  
Gary looked positively heart-broken.  
"But what about all you have here?" he pleaded, forgetting about being nervous.  
"I'm sorry,"  
  
  
  
"Yeah, Cass decided not to go," Jessi apoligised slyly "But you haven't lost out at all, you see, because I'm gonna join you,"  
"Can you ride?" asked Tyra, throwing a meaningful glance at Chopper and the rest of the bike gang.  
"And swing a chain at the same time," bragged Jessi.  
"Really?" asked Chopper, sucking up pathetically to her.  
"Yeah, sure," she said as though it was no big deal.  
"Then hop on this bike and we'll take you home where you can get changed and pack a little bit of stuff." Said Tyra with a grin, handing Jessi an expensive looking white and indigo cycle.  
Jessi smiled. This was a great way to escape the stupid problems of her stupid life.  
  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
What's Cassidy gonna say when she finds out Jessi has taken her position? Is Joy pregnant? What will Misty say to Ash? What's gonna happen to Kishi? What's going on between James and Gabby? Who burst into Jenny's room? And etc, etc, etc....  
  
Love & Kisses,  
Mew2  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. Default Chapter Title

Poketech High 10,   
  
The last episode was set on Monday afternoon and it showed Jessi going off with the biker gang.  
It is now three days later, on Thursday, and Kishi has had her case heard in the junior court. She was found guilty of controlling the balls, but she was too young to claim the money anyhow, and she didn't have a record, so she was let off with a warning. The money was returned.  
  
  
Thursday, Sunnytown Bridge  
  
  
  
The toll booth worker smiled the young bikers through. He'd never trusted them, but he didn't have a reason not to let those troublemakers through.  
"And once again we would extend a strong warning to anyone in the Sunnytown- Cerulean City area to board up windows and doors for the inland hurricane; Scyther, which has been predicted to hit the two towns sometime between 5 to 9 pm."  
A hurricane, he thought, I sure hope those bikers have a place to go.  
  
  
James was hanging out after school, talking to Gabby. He'd been getting pretty close to her, and they had infact gone to see Kishi the previous day. She was depressed and disheveled but she upon seeing them she instantly perked up. James felt sort of cruel for leading her on, but now didn't seem the right time to dump her. Besides it might make Gabby hate him, and James didn't think he could handle that.  
Gabby was nervous, she kept muttering that they should find a safe place to spend the night, but it was only half past three and James saw no need to leave early, besides he and Gabby might end up huddled together somewhere romantic, sheltering from the storm.  
  
  
Ash grinned as he entered the Cerulean Gym. The first thing he saw was Daisy practicing for the role of the mermaid in the water ballet.  
He waved and Violet and Lily ran over to talk to him.  
"Hi," Violet said, "How are you?"  
"I'm good," Ash answered "But I'm wondering why I can't see Misty yet,"  
Lily exchanged a worried glance with her sister "The doctors say she's in a critical condition and cannot be disturbed."  
Ash fell for it. "I'm gonna go speak to Daisy now, about Pikachu starring in the next show. Bye!"  
Ash ran over the young blonde, who had already got into her bathrobe and was drying her hair.  
"How's Misty?" he asked in a concerned voice.  
"Oh she's great. The doctors say she may even wake up soon,"  
Ash looked shocked. "But the others said that she was critical...you don't want me to se her anymore, do you?"  
Ash was mad. Daisy grabbed his hand. "Look Ash, Misty said that she doesn't want to-"  
"She said? You mean she is AWAKE and you didn't even tell me!"  
"No Ash...it's just that..." Daisy squeaked quietly "She doesn't want to see you just yet..."  
"Well I want to see her and I am going straight to that damn hospital right now!"  
  
  
Butch slammed his History textbook shut. He couldn't work like this, there was too much going on.  
"Maybe if I grab a bite to eat," he thought aloud "It might calm me down."  
He ran his fingers through his silky green hair and grabbed his wallet. He'd go down to that new health food shop, maybe order some food for Belle and go stay with her for a while.  
He slammed his bedroom door and left the house.  
  
  
Lance aimed another roundhouse at the punching bag. The impact jolted it severely backwards. For a second Lance thought it would fall down but it didn't.   
He was at the school Gym with Hitmonchan, training. He was the only around, as far as he could tell.   
They'd decided it was safer that they'd spend the hurricane at the school. They didn't exactly have anywhere else to go to.  
Lance swung another power packed kick at the bag. He imagined it was Gary.  
"*Hey take it easy Champ*" said Hitmonchan from the bleachers.  
"You should take it easy, chump"  
Hitmonchan laughed. "*How 'bout we test your skill in a little sparring match?*"  
"You betcha!" Lance said, sliding the big blue mat out.  
"*Then prepare to say goodbye to your honorable butt! *"  
  
  
Gary picked up his pace as he rounded the corner to Ash's house. He'd decided that to celebrate Kishi's verdict the gang could all go out for a meal, then they could go to the mall to hide out from the hurricane.  
He jogged up the path to the Ketchums' house and knocked on the door. Mr. Mime answered it immediately, as though he was expecting it. But remember, Gary told himself, Mr. Mime is a psychic.  
"Mime, mime!" he called down the hall. Mrs Ketchum smiled as she walked up to the open doorway.  
"Hi, Gary," she smiled "What can I do for you?"  
"Well I was wondering if Ash was home?"  
"Oh, sorry. He went to see Daisy. He's pretty torn up about Misty. I hope she'll be OK,"  
"Yeah she'll be fine. Misty's a stubborn girl, trust me," Gary smiled "Well I'll try the Gym. Bye!"  
"Bye!"  
"Mime!"  
  
  
Kishi waved goodbye to her parents as she let the house. She'd decided to go and see how Misty was, but first she had to check what Gary had planned for them.   
"Mewtwo," she called, tossing a Pokeball out of her bag "I choose you! Teleport me to Gary's house!"  
The next second Kishi and Mewtwo were on the steps to the Oak residence. "Mewtwo return."  
Kishi knocked three times.  
"I'LL GET IT!" yelled a girl's voice from inside. Kishi heard the thundering of feet as Gary's sister ran to the door.  
"Hello?" said Gary's pretty younger sister, Bianca. "Oh hi Kishi. Gary isn't around, I think he said something about athletics training at the school Gym,"  
"Oh, OK," Kishi sighed "I'll go see him there then. Thanks for that,"  
"That's OK," Bianca smiled, sliding her hairband back onto her head "Bye!"  
"Bye!"  
  
  
Snap put his head on his knees. He was depressed again. He decided that he had better take his mind off everything, so he got up.  
I'll go for a walk in the park, he promised himself, and take some shots of everything before the storm, then after.  
The idea of the new project put a spark of excitement in him, and he eagerly grabbed his camera. He slipped in some black and white film and slung the camera bag over his shoulder. He was going to take some photos, and he was going to enjoy himself.  
  
  
Cassidy sat down glumly on the park bench. Jessi was such a dumb cow. Why did she go and ruin the best thing that had ever happened to her? Cassidy's life had seemed pointless until she had first seen Tyra and Chopper. She was born for the open road, it was her destiny. Why did Jessi have to do that?  
It was true she and Jessi never were the best of pals, but she had at least credited her with a small dosage of friendship. Cassidy guessed Jessi had just thought of herself before others, as she always did.  
"If I ever see that stupid moll again I'm going to belt her head in." she whispered a promise to herself. She was Cassidy, after all, and nobody messed with her.  
Cassidy looked up with newfound strength. She straightaway locked eyes with a guy. It was Snap, from school. The photographer, the one with no friends, the one who everyone constantly picked on.  
All in a second it happened. What exactly happened was lost on Cassidy, but she didn't care what it was. All she knew was that she suddenly wanted to be with Snap.   
In the movies when a situation like this occurred the couple would run out and embrace each other. However in real life that was corny and impractical. Cassidy had no idea what to do next. She had suddenly fallen for the guy, but she had no idea what to say to him.  
She could see in his eyes he felt the same way she did- confused, intimidated and on top of the world. When two people feel the same feelings as those mentioned before it generally meant that you could do anything you wanted, because the other wouldn't have a clue what move to make.  
Cassidy smoothed down her grey flares and got up. For the first time since Jessi had left with Tyra and Chopper, Cassidy felt like life had a purpose once again.  
  
  
  
Jessibelle tapped glumly on the arm of the cane chair on the porch. She was thinking about Butch. Lately he had been acting so distant and preoccupied. There was something wrong and she didn't know what it was.  
He didn't go to her house any more, nor did invite her over to his place. The two had seemed so close at one stage, practically married in fact.   
Some things do change, but sure as hell Jessibelle didn't want her and Butch to change, ever.  
She looked up to the sky. Huge grey clouds were rolling in, darkening the Earth. All the houses along the street were bordered up tight. Many cars were gone, some people obviously not willing to sit the storm out.  
Jessibelle wondered if Butch would stay with her during the hurricane. He knew that whilst not many things scared her, she was terrified of storms.  
  
  
Joy sighed loudly as she looked around her at the almost deserted Health Food shop. There were a few people scattered around the tables, waiting for some food. The place was usually crawling.  
Joy looked across the room.  
Oh my God! She suddenly realised, Butch is here. He looked back at her uncomfortably. A wave of anger crashed into Joy and she slowly and deliberately got up and walked up to him, surprised at her own self confidence. He sort of gasped and turned away.  
"Butch?" she said coldly "I got news for you."  
"Wha?" breathed Butch "I gotta go, I gotta go see my girlfriend,"  
"She won't be your girlfriend much longer if you don't sit down," Joy threatened. Butch obeyed her and pulled out a chair for himself.  
"To cut a long story short; I'm pregnant."  
A look of utter pain and shock played across Butch's face. He looked nauseous, as though he was about to throw up.  
It was then, in that one sentence spoken, that Butch's life was torn apart.  
  
  
  
Jessi pedaled a little faster as she made her way to the house that Tyra and the others resided in. It was unclear whether they owned the house or not, but it was a house, and for the time being, that was all that mattered.  
The bag of groceries swung onto her leg again. She looked up at the sky; it was a dark grey colour, gloomy. If despair had a colour it would be that of clouds building up.  
The others had sent her out to get some food and grog to last the hurricane out. The local shop was in the process of being taken apart, and Jessi was lucky to be able to find anything in those boxes. The good thing, however, was that the security system was down, and Jessi was able to steal a few stubbies from a crate near the ice machine.  
Secretly, Jessi wasn't sure what all the fuss was about. It was just a big storm. After all what could a little rain and wind do? Not much at all, really, it was pretty stupid to make such a big deal out of it. Ok, so she'd never actually been in one, but she'd seen them on TV before. The reporters turned them into sob stories to catch some ratings. It was all blown out of proportion.  
Jessi grinned to herself as she sped up even more. Life was great.  
  
  
Jenny sat anxiously in her hotel room. She was on the run again, and she had almost been shot in the head when one of the drug dealer's cronies had burst into the hotel room a few days ago.  
Luckily, people from the Protection Program arrived just as the man was aiming at her.  
Although she and her family were incredibly fortunate to have escaped, Jenny was internally sure that the next time she wouldn't be so lucky.  
In an effort to rid her of the morbid thoughts she turned the TV on. It clicked onto the News. A man with shoulders like a bus was talking about weather patterns.  
"He should have been a footballer," said Jenny, with some amusement. She got up to change the channel.  
"And we expect Hurricane Scyther to hit Cerulean City at about 4 or 5 in the afternoon, and Sunny Town at 6. The hurricane has been upsized from scale one to scale two, but no order for evacuation has been given."  
"Oh no!" Jenny yelped in horror. Her home town, her house, the school...Ash, everything she cared about was being threatened by an overgrown storm.  
"Dad!" she called to the next room "Of all the worst luck there is a hurricane heading for Cerulean City tonight!"  
She burst into the room. Her father looked instantly guilty. "Really?" His surprise was clearly false.  
"You don't seem so surprised," Jenny observed. Her mother pushed herself further back onto the couch, as though she could dodge her daughter's suspicion.  
"You KNEW! I don't believe you seriously knew and you still didn't tell me! Jesus!"  
"Sweetie," said her mother desperately "Quiet down. With everything that has been going on...we just thought it better not to mention it yet,"  
"Thankyou for not mentioning that my home, friends, school and the guy I love were about to be destroyed. That was so kind of you not to warn me that everything I love is about to meet its demise!" Jenny yelled bitterly.  
She stood there a moment, panting. Her mother opened her mouth to say something, but thought the better of it. There wasn't anything she could say or do to excuse herself.  
  
  
Brock left the house feeling a little depressed. His father was looking after his brothers and sisters, so he was free to spend the hurricane with whoever he chose, which was good, he supposed.  
You see, it would have been good if he had anyone he could spend it with, and he sure as hell was on fire wasn't going to go back home. He could just imagine the look on his deadbeat father's face, the laughter of his siblings, the ridicule, and the pity. Nope, there was no way on earth Brock would go back to the house.  
He felt a wet splash on his shoulder. It was starting to rain. He had to find somewhere to go, fast. But where could he go? Mt. Moon? Too far. He wouldn't make it in time. For the first time in a long while Brock felt a niggling fear gnawing him from the inside of his stomach. The perverse excitement he had experienced when news of the hurricane had first been delivered was morphed into fear while he walked along the road with no place to go.  
He couldn't go to the school, it was probably locked up. Perhaps Kishi was home, but then, she probably hadn't forgiven him for yelling at her after the party, after he tried to hit onto Gabby in the belief that is was her.  
There was that Snap guy, but Brock didn't know where he lived, besides, he probably thought that he was a jerk, like most people in the town.  
Brock looked across the road and saw Butch flee the Health Food Shop. He looked as though he was holding back tears. Brock was confused, Butch never cried. Not ever. Even when he stacked the motorbike on that jump at the Motocross and broke his leg and ribs. He didn't cry then, he cussed for all he was worth, but he didn't cry.  
A bunch of people left the shop with bags of steaming hot food and headed for their cars or home or whatever. The manager followed them, locking up as he went.  
Brock's stomach rumbled. He was pretty hungry.  
He sat down on the gutter. What was the point in seeking shelter? He deserved to die. All the guys hated him, all the girls' thought he was a sleaze. What right did he have to plague their lives any longer? He owed it to them to die, to repay his sins. He checked his watch. Four in the afternoon. Not long to go.  
  
  
"So then where is Ash?" asked Gary impatiently. He didn't have time to listen to Daisy blabber on and flirt with him.  
"Uh...He said he was...uh...going to the school to...uh...finish something off..."  
Gary believed her. Daisy didn't want too many people with Misty. Besides, it was a long walk to the hospital. Gary probably wouldn't make it on time.  
Gary threw a quick glance at his watch "I better get moving! I'll talk to ya later!"  
As soon as Gary had left the building Daisy sighed and picked up her mermaid costume. She hated having to lie all the time. Sure, she liked to have her fun and twist people around her finger, but she knew when to stop. All this lying for Misty. If the youngest Waterflower had any doubts concerning whether or not her sister loved her, she should take a look at all she was doing.  
Misty owed her one. Big time. She was sick of having to lie to her friends.  
  
  
  
James too, was sick of the lies. As he sat beside Gabby, leaning on the Science Wing ramp, with occasional raindrops fluttering down around them, the truth of his situation hit him. He'd been lying all his life. He didn't deserve to be in such a serene scene, next to such an angelic creature.  
"Gabby," he whispered "Can I tell you some things?"  
"Anything you like. Get it all off your chest," smiled Gabby, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
"I'm not who you think I am,"  
"Um...," said Gabby, a little bewildered "Are you Inspector Gadget then? Superman?"  
"Seriously. All my life I have created this guy who doesn't care how many hearts he breaks, just so long as he gets what he wants. He insults people, he's harsh, he's never had to suffer like those around him, it's all too easy, he feels superior to others...That's not me, Gabby,"  
"I never said it was," said Gabby, completely unaware of what had spurred his sudden confession.  
"It's not me at all..." James burst into tears, burying his face into Gabby's hair. Her first reaction was too move away, but she decided to stay. James needed her support.  
"And it doesn't have to be if you don't want it to," she smiled calmly, putting an arm around his shoulders "Hey, calm down," she added softly "I'm here. Shh...shh,"  
James smiled a childlike smile and put his head on Gabby's shoulder. They sat like that for a moment, with James thinking just how lucky he was, for an asshole like him, to be in the arms of a girl like Gabby. It was almost unbelievable that she was so nice to him.  
"James? GABBY?!" a voice suddenly screeched "What?"  
Gabby looked up into her cousin's hurt eyes.  
"Kishi, this isn't what you think..." said Gabby, all though it was just a well-worn phrase, used time after time as a pathetic excuse. The irony of the saying was that even if it were true, the person in question generally couldn't think of anything else fast enough. It was corny and bookish, but there really was no alternative to saying it. It gets stuck in everybody's minds from various soaps, and it stayed there, just waiting for its chance to see the light of day.  
"It IS what you think," disagreed James "I love you Gabby, and I want to be with you forever,"  
Gabby pulled away as though she had been stung. Kishi turned and ran, tears flooding her eyes.  
"Kishi wait!"  
"Don't come near me, ever!"  
  
  
"Joy, we need to have a talk," said her mother as she entered the kitchen after checking on the Tauros.  
"What about?" asked Joy, a little shyly.  
Her mother held up a pregnancy tester. "About this. The results were good, but you should have at least told me you were planning it, I didn't even know you were seeing anyone."  
Joy broke into tears. Good! How could the results be good? She was pregnant, at 16 for God's sake! Was her mother insane?  
"How can it be good?" sobbed Joy "I'll have to quit school, and put the baby up for adoption..."  
"Baby?" asked her mother in shock "The results were negative!"  
Joy snatched the test from her mother's hand. "But they were..."  
"I found it in the bathroom bin when I was cleaning up," said her mother "And I assumed you knew how to use one. When it says 'wait' it means for longer than thirty seconds. The results are always positive, until you wait a while and they change. You're not pregnant, hon."  
"Oh shit! I gotta go!" Joy yelled.  
"What?" asked her mother, not accustomed to having her precious daughter swear. "Why?"  
"I've gotta stop a guy making the biggest mistake of his life." Yelled Joy as she sped out of the back door.  
  
  
As Gary rounded the corner to the science wing he was hit by a speeding blue blur.  
"Ow!" he moaned as they collided and fell onto the ground in unceremonious synchronization.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" gushed Kishi, pulling herself up off the ground. She straightened her shirt up and looked up at Gary. Straightaway he saw that she'd been crying.  
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, searching Kishi's ever-swirling blue eyes.  
"It's James...or rather James and Gabby,"  
Gary's brow furrowed. So James tow-timed Kishi...what a low-life...with her own cousin too. Nobody got away with hurting his friends like that.  
"Hey," Gary said with a smile as he put an arm protectively around Kishi's shoulders "Howz about we have a little talk to Gary and see if we can set things straight?"  
"No...I don't think so," answered Kishi quietly "It'll just make things worse."  
"If it exposes the truth," Gary argued "It can't make it worse."  
Kishi sort of shrugged, shrinking down a few centimetres. Gary led her back to the ramp where Gabby was speaking earnestly to James, who was crestfallen, lying on the ground and staring up at her.  
"James," Gary said strongly "We need to have a little talk."  
Gabby and James both looked up at the same time. The shock waves hit Gabby with full force. Kishi thought she had cheated on her boyfriend, so she had gotten revenge by telling Gary a bunch of lies, or so believed Gabby at the time.  
"Why? I didn't love Kishi in the first place, and I won't ever, I love Gabby, and I always will." James cried.  
"Then why did you go out with her you pathetic piece of scum?" hollered Gary.  
Gabby could see a fight building up. The only way to prevent it was to tell the truth.  
"Look," she said "This isn't right, we have to talk things-"  
She broke of when the sky erupted into a downpour of rain. Gary shielded Kishi with his jacket as Gabby helped James to his feet.  
"The Gym!" yelled Gary over the rain drumming on the roof "Hurry!"  
  
  
Brock felt the rain chilling him to the bone as it pounded heavily into his back. Through his blurry vision he a pair of lights dancing in the distance. The pair of lights were followed by a trail of three more paired lights, evenly distanced along the horizon.  
Maybe I am dead, he told himself, and they are the angels coming for me. As the lights drew nearer Brock identified them as car headlights. A car and three vans.  
The dark blue car pulled up alongside him.  
"Are you crazy?" said a man as he reached over and opened the back door "Get in,"  
Brock was a bit apprehensive about getting into a stranger's car, but as he glanced in he saw it was no stranger at all. It was just the Lowwater family.  
"What were you doing out in the storm?" asked Jenny with a smile.  
Brock didn't answer for a second, just accepted the coat Sgt. Lowwater handed to him and pulled it over his shoulders. Then he turned to Jenny and smiled a genuine smile.  
"I was waiting for angels to come."  
  
  
Misty glared at Ash with a hatred she had not experienced before.  
"Misty," he gasped "Why wouldn't you let me see you?"  
"I'll give you a reason." She answered coldly "Is it good enough? You drove me to suicide."  
"Misty, no, I would never do that...I care too much." Hot tears pricked Ash's eyes as he tried to find the loving, caring Misty he knew in the cold blue eyes before him.  
"I don't want to speak to you." She said simply, turning her back.  
"But I need to speak to you," he pleaded "Misty I need to tell you how I feel about you..."  
"I don't care. I'd rather it if you would kindly drop dead." She said calmly, not turning around.  
"Through it all you were always there. It was like I would never have to tell you how I really felt because I'd never seen the need. I put it off for too long, and I have to live with that every day. It was like I had all the time in the world with you. Now I know I was wrong."  
"Do I care?"  
"Misty you are making it so hard for me," he whined.  
"Look how hard you made it for me."  
"Can't you find a place in your heart to hear me out? To accept me?"  
"You left my heart long ago, Ash Ketchum." Answered Misty "I don't care if you live or die."  
"Misty you don't understand." Said Ash "I love you."  
"And I hate you."  
It was then that a mature decision became animated in Ash's head. Well it would have been mature, if it had not been from the storm picking up outside, but that mattered little in Ash's mind.  
"Then there is nothing more I can say. I am going."  
Misty whipped around to face him. She looked shocked. "In the middle of hurricane?"  
"I poured my heart out for you, Misty Waterflower, and you dismissed me. I'd sooner die than stay with you."  
And with that he left the room.  
  
  
"Jessi, babe!" exclaimed Chopper in slurred tones "Come over here and sit next to me."  
He was drunk, but she wasn't. Something inside her had told her not to touch any alcohol, she didn't know why, but she had long learnt to trust instincts like this.  
However her new friend didn't seem to pose any immediate threat so she obediently plunked her body down beside him on the hard, faded couch.  
In the background 'Road Rage' by Catatonia blared out. Tyra was on the counter top, pissed off her face, singing along.  
Chopper put his arm around Jessi's waist. She felt a bit squeamish and she wanted to move away, but for some reason she didn't. Chopper rested his other hand on her thigh. Alarm bells sounded in Jessi's head.  
This isn't right, Jessi told herself, get up and go.   
Jessi brushed his hand away and made a move to get up.  
"Where dyou think you're goin' sweetie?" he asked, wobbling to his feet. He grabbed Jessi around the waist again and pulled her closer.  
"Fuck off, Chopper," she said loudly. He ignored her and pulled her closer to him, lifting her face up so it was directly inline with his."I mean it Chopper, back away. You can't treat me like this. I'm not some bikers' moll."  
"You can't treat me like this," he echoed in a pathetic parody of her voice "Sweetie, everyone treats you like this. Wasn't bad treatment da reason dat you came 'ere in da first place?"  
"Yeah it was. But I didn't expect it to happen again." Jessi said, disgusted. She pulled her head away and took a step back from him. "And it won't, will it?"  
"Course it'll happen 'gen. Bound to. Why wait? Come over 'ere and give ol' Chopper a kiss, eh?"  
"Get a life!" Jessi yelled, kneeing him where it hurt most. At first everyone in the bike gang had seemed so nice and friendly, freedom-lovers like her. Now she knew they were no different from her previous acquaintances. Except they were sleazier.  
Jessi pushed her way through the crowd until she reached the door. Without hesitation she swung it open and stepped out into the freezing rain, which was coming down in sheets.  
She had to get back to Cerulean City, her home, her friends, James...  
  
  
"Belle," Butch said desperately "You must understand we were drifting away...I never loved her..."  
"Loved who? Butch just tell me. You've been pussyfooting since you arrived."  
Butch sighed. There was no easy way to put it. However he said it, it would hurt just as much.  
"I slept with Joy Ferry and got her pregnant."  
It all rolled out then. He'd spent so many hours wishing it had never happened and held so many regrets and now, the truth was finally exposed.  
Jessibelle's eyes misted over and she broke down, banging her head on the table as she sobbed uncontrollably.  
Butch wanted to reach out and touch her, put his hand on her shoulder, let her know he was there, but it was too late for that. It would just make things worse. It was over.  
Suddenly the door sprang open and a saturated Joy Ferry burst into Jessibelle's house.  
Jessibelle took one look at her and burst into tears again.  
"What are you doing here?" she wailed "Just go...both of you...just go."  
Joy was too late. Butch had obviously already broken the news.  
"Butch," whispered Joy. He turned to her with pained eyes "I'm not pregnant."  
What could Butch say. It was good news, but also bad news. If Joy had told him sooner he wouldn't have ever had to tell Jessibelle about it.  
"You bitch," Butch muttered to Joy "Did you tell me that you were pregnant only to break me and Belle up? Did you want to get your own back for that night at the party? Did you?" He held up his hand to silence her "Don't ever come near me again you bitch."  
"She can't just leave in the midst of a hurricane," said Jessibelle slowly "Grow a brain you inconsiderate prick. Sit down, Joy"  
Jessibelle motioned for Joy to join her at the table. Not knowing exactly how to react, Joy obeyed.  
Butch quietly got up and walked away. He let himself into Jessibelle's room and flopped down on the bed. And then he began to cry.  
  
  
Snap and Cassidy sat with an arm around eachother, wrapped in a blanket, sipping cocoa and eating popcorn, watching the rain pour down.  
They were at Cassidy's house, sitting in the bay window where the couch had previously been. Snap felt so cozy and snug with her, he never wanted to leave. At first he had thought Kishi to be his true love, but now he knew it was Cassidy.  
All the times he had wished to die were permanently erased from his memory, now replaced by a love and happiness he thought he'd never see.  
He gave Cassidy a thankful kiss on the cheek, and she turned to him with a joyful smile on her face. Life was beautiful.  
  
  
Lance and Hitmonchan whirled around in a fighting stance when the double doors to the school gymnasium were thrown open and four very wet people stepped inside. They seemed to resume an argument, before Kishi noticed Lance standing there.  
"Oh look," Gary said pointedly "There is Lance the Druggo."  
Lance had promised himself he would one day belt that son-of-a-bitch's head in, and he could see no better time than now.  
Hitmonchan saw the cogs turning in his friend's mind and smiled encouragingly.  
"*Go for it*"  
"He is not a druggo. Is he into drugs?" Kishi whispered furiously to Gary. He slipped his arm back over her shoulders "This man, tried to sell his wares to none other than Cassidy Birches, I have witnesses."  
"Like who?" scoffed Lance.  
"Myself." Replied Gary smugly "I was there."  
"No you weren't," argued Lance signaling Gary onto the mat.  
"Uh-ha!" Gary exclaimed "So you still did it, regardless of whether I was there or not. He admitted folks, you heard him with your own ears."  
James looked shocked, Gabby looked disbelieving and Kishi looked hurt.  
Gary stepped onto the mat. "You wanna piece of the Oakster, eh?" he asked "Well come an' get it!"  
With that Gary dove at Lance. Lance shot to the left giving his opponent plenty of time to stumble forwards.  
"Pretty quick aren't ya?" Gary taunted "Should've tried out for the sprint team, eh?"  
Gary again dove at Lance, but that stage Lance was already hovering several feet above the big, blue mat.  
Gary's eyes almost bugged out of his head. He was beginning to realize what a mistake it was to have challenged this guy.  
Lance jumped down and socked Gary a hefty punch in the gut. Gary sagged forward, but Lance aimed an uppercut at Gary's jaw.  
Wiping blood from his lip, Gary swiped out at his opponent, but Lance grabbed his arm and flipped him over his back.  
Panting, Lance leaned over the fallen body of Gary. His sunglasses clattered to the ground, revealing the pure white eyes that would invoke nightmares for Steven King.  
Lance closed his eyes for a second and brought forth a katana from his collection. He swung it menacingly, the shining blade just millimeters from Gary's nose. Gary's eyes widened with fear. Lance Park was insane! He didn't know when to stop!  
"Stop it Lance!" yelled Kishi from the sidelines, but from the thundering of feet Gary knew she was running over "You've gone too far! Don't you know when to stop?"  
Gabby and James were still staring in shock. Sure Gabby had seen her cousin do some pretty weird stuff in the past, but she'd never actually expected to see someone else do anything.   
Gabby could tell that Kishi had known of Lance's powers beforehand, and that explained why she kept making desperate faces for Gary not to go into battle with him.  
Kishi dragged Gary back a little way and helped him up. Lance returned the sword, in a state of recovering from the previous adrenaline rush.  
Kishi looked absolutely disgusted in him. He had gone too far, got too wrapped up in the moment. I'm not fighting Team Rocket anymore, he reminded himself, I should stop being so violent.  
The look on Kishi's face told that she agreed wholeheartedly with him.  
Hitmonchan handed Lance back his sunglasses, which he gratefully slid onto his head.   
"Now Gary," Lance said evenly "I did not sell any drugs, to ANYBODY, drugs ruin lives. I hope that you never make the mistake of falsely accusing me again, or only divine intervention can save your puny butt."  
  
  
Ash pulled his hood down further over his eyes as he attempted to navigate his way home. The wind whipped him and the rain stung him and he was frozen stiff. He could only afford to take small steps so he wasn't blown over by the wind.  
Tears pooled in his eyes as he thought of Misty and her uncaring attitude. She doesn't care if I live or die, he told himself, but thank God I do.  
He took another determined stride, or at least as determined as a stride can be in such conditions.  
All of a sudden a jet of icy air wrapped up his legs and knocked him forward. His face hit the pavement and skidded along it. Blood seeped from the cuts into the puddles forming around him.  
As he tried to get up a searing pain in his leg forced him back to the ground. His leg was broken, and he wasn't strong enough to fight to the winds. He closed his eyes and thought of home. I'll be there soon, he promised himself, before he blacked out in pain.  
  
  
Jessi struggled to keep the cycle upright as she attempted to make her way across the Sunny Town bridge.  
Luckily the tyres were new and the treads unworn, so whilst it was a constant battle to stay in control, it was a little easier.  
Blizzard-like winds whipped around her as she kept moving onwards. Panting under the physical exertion she was having to uphold, she momentarily lost concentration. The handlebars swung around, spraining her wrist. She and the bike flew forward at an acute angle, until it fishtailed and spun over the edge. She grabbed onto the a post with one arm to prevent her crashing into the ocean too.  
With a sprained wrist during a hurricane it would be certain death to go into the sea, so she lay there, scared out of her brain, praying she would survive.  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
We-e-e-ell what do ya think about that? Pretty long, and I mean lo-o-o-ong for me, because I am accustomed to writing such short stories.  
This one was 18 pages, out-doing my previous longest by triple the amount. Not bad, eh?   
So what did you think about this episode? I thought I did OK, although I do sometimes get caught up in the moment and rush things, but we all do a bit of that sometimes.  
  
Love,  
Mew2  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	8. Default Chapter Title

Poketech High no. 11, Settling Down  
  
Hah! This series SETTLING DOWN? A helping-out afternoon at Ash's ends with disastrous results!  
  
It is Friday, the day after the hurricane, and the town is recovering and rebuilding. The kids have the option of helping out at school or at home, because of course, school is canceled.  
  
"OK Ash, I'll be at your place by three," Kishi said brightly through the telephone "I've almost finished out at home and mum and dad are out, so it is better than being home alone. Do you want me to bring anything?"  
"No, oh yeah...bring a board game, Cluedo or something, and maybe a pack of corn chips. I'm home alone too, Mum's gone into Celadon to get a new TV, we ours got shorted out,"  
"Sheesh, is this a help-poor-little-Ash-cleanup-his-mother's-house get-together or a party? And by the way, how is your leg?"  
Ash glanced down at the bandage on his knee "All I did was jar it. I don't even need crutches,"  
"That's great news! I mean, being caught out in a hurricane is bad, but copping a fall like that and only jarring your knee is amazing,"  
"The doctor said I must have put all my weight on the leg before I fell," Ash explained.  
"How's Misty?" Kishi asked cautiously, afraid that she might upset Ash.  
"I don't know," Ash responded "I called Daisy and asked to her invite Misty over for me, but I don't know how that will turn out,"  
"I don't believe that she would turn bad like that," Kishi said "I guess it is her recovering from attempted suicide, you know, she must have a lot on her mind,"  
"Good explanation, how 'bout you read her mind and see if you're right?"  
"And see if she really does love you at the same time? Get real, I don't pry," Upon saying this, she blushed, remembering the time she had invaded Ash's thoughts when she had liked him. Thankfully James, the lying bastard, had got her over Ash within a few minutes.  
"Have you invited Gabby?" Kishi asked.  
"Yep. You were the last person I called." Ash answered, an edge cutting into his voice.  
"Why the guilty voice?" Kishi asked with underlying trepidation.  
Ash gulped. He should have known he couldn't keep his feelings away from a psychic, even over the phone. "Well, she, uh, asked to bring James, the two are, um, really good friends now..."  
"My ass! I can't believe she would have the nerve to get involved with that loser after what he did to me...and her!"  
"You're still coming right?" Ash asked.  
"Hell yes! I'm not going to sacrifice a good time because of my backstabbing cousin and my so-called-ex. By the way, I'm going to bring some people"  
And with that Kishi slammed down the phone. She had the rare urge to be bitchy, and she would show her cousin and James that she could get heaps of guys, and she didn't need them.  
She grinned slightly, scanning down the columns in the phone book until she found Snap's last name.  
She punched in his number and waited.  
"Hello, this is Todd speaking," he said, almost immediately.  
"Snap? Hi, this is Kishi...I was wondering if you wanted to come over to Ash's this afternoon, it'll be heaps of fun,"  
Snap paused and cleared his throat "Uh, I'm expecting another call...hang on a sec, can I bring someone?"  
**WHAT?** Kishi thought in utter shock **Snap, the lonely outsider of Poketech High has a girlfriend?**  
**Relax** she told herself mentally **It's probably just his cousin, he can't have got a girl overnight**  
"Great, we might be a little late, because I have to go and see her beforehand. Do you want us to bring anything?" Snap gushed excitedly.  
"No, that's OK," Kishi said angrily "I'll see you there."  
And then she hung up. But luckily she had a back-up plan, so she dialed in Brock's number.  
"Hello? Flint household, Simon speaking," there were a lot of loud giggles, and then the eleven year old continued his speech "How may I be of service to you?"  
"Uh, hi, this is Kishi. I was wondering if Brock was home."  
"Yep, I'll just get him...BROCK! IT'S KISSY ON THE PHONE!" he screeched as loud as he could, before returning to his normal tone "He'll be here in a second."  
"Thank you," Kishi said dryly, his scratchy voice still grinding in her ears.  
A few seconds later there was the sound of a phone being picked up. "Hello? Shut up Timmy!"  
"Uh, Brock, this is Kishi, I was wondering if you wanted to come over to Ash's this afternoon, it's gonna be great fun,"  
"Um...well...can I bring someone?"  
**OH NO!** Kishi cried mentally, about to faint **Don't tell me that it is possible for the biggest loser AND the biggest sleaze to have girls? And Gabby has James...**  
"Yeah, whoever you like," Kishi snapped with abandon. She didn't feel well, she wanted a cold glass of water and a lie-down. It was all too much for her. The entirety of Cerulean City was pairing up...except her.  
  
  
A car is driving along the road to Cerulean City, and the family of five inside is having a major dispute, well four of them are, the baby is asleep, though God knows how.  
"And that is why we are moving to Cerulean City," the boy's father snapped "And that is final,"  
"But it is a hole..." his son whined.  
"Its not...it is rebuilding from a hurricane, and as I said before, the construction of our new attraction will be a great cash-grabber for the town,"  
"But I'm leaving all my friends behind..." he said drearily.   
His younger sister Regina turned to him from her seat "You never had any friends to begin with."  
"Oh yeah, what about Estelle and Justin and Candy and Monique and Christo and-"  
"NON-imaginary friends," Regina added, cutting him off.  
"Akira and Kaybee and-"  
"Be quiet son," his mother said. "You'll wake the baby,"  
"You'll wake the baby," he mimicked "Is that all you care about, the Goddamn baby?"  
"Yes, now shut up," Regina giggled.  
"Regina!" their mother snapped "That was uncalled for. I want the rest of this trip to be in silence!"  
The boy turned and looked out the window dejectedly, watching the scenery scrolling by, taking him further from his home in the Orange Archipelago.  
He sighed, he was going to hate the town, and hate the notorious Pokemon Technical Private School, famed for having the most unstable kids and the most druggos within a twenty-meter radius, even more.  
  
  
  
Ash hummed quietly to himself as he nailed the door back on properly.  
Luckily before the storm his mother had taken all the electrical appliances plugs out, disconnected all the circuits, and put the radios, computer, etc. on a pile of raised crates in the basements. It was thanks to that he had his CD player blaring out 'I Hate Stupid People' by Insurge.  
"I hate stupid people," he sang  
"The way the close their eyes  
The way unto the unknown they can never seek  
And then they wonder why they can never find,"  
"And I hate stupid people," added another voice as she sidled up the driveway.   
"The way they close their minds  
The way they limit life's exploration   
They just work, eat, sleep and multiply...yeah,"  
"Oh hiya Kishi, you're about twenty minutes early, but sheesh, you sure did give me a fright,"  
Kishi shrugged and stepped over the stereo wire. She dumped a bag of CC's and the Cluedo box at his feet.  
"Can I ask you something?"  
Ash turned to face her, and he noticed with a small shock that instead of her usual blue attire, she was wearing a black V-neck and black flares. Her usually pigtailed hair was cascading around her shoulders.  
Ash wasn't sure if he liked the look or not. Her black make-up was definitely a shock to his system. It was gonna take some getting used to.  
"I was wondering if you'd seen Lance around. I rang directory, but she said there were no Park's in Cerulean City,"  
"Um, he's usually in the park with Hitmonchan," Ash mumbled, concentrating more on trying not to shatter the stained glass than his speech.  
"OK, thanks. I'm gonna invite him, and," Kishi added bitterly as she made her way away "Snap and Brock are inviting their girlfriends over."  
Ash almost stumbled backwards. "THEY have GIRLFRIENDS?"  
Kishi wiped a single tear out of her eye as she walked away. "It certainly seems that way."  
  
  
Twenty-five minutes later Kishi, Lance and Hitmonchan arrived on the Ketchums' doorstep.  
Gary answered the door "Sure, come right in." he then snarled at Lance and hurried away.  
"He's terrified of you," Kishi giggled as she led Lance into the lounge-room where Ash, Gabby and James were engaged in a round of Monopoly.  
"You can't put a house on a property that you only own one colour of," Ash yelled "You gotta have the whole set,"  
"I can do whatever I want," Gabby argued, snatching a Community Chest Card.  
"Hey! You landed on the Water Works! You gotta pay me! Not draw a freakin' card!" protested Gary, settling himself down on the big, black beanbag.  
"'Advance to Go, collect $200'" Gabby read "Alright!"  
"Gabby is notorious as a cheater," Kishi explained to a very skeptical looking Hitmonchan.  
"*Lance, I wanna play poker, I miss playing poker*" Hitmonchan whined.  
"That's because you always won, and at this time I would like to announce that you CHEATED!"  
"*Did not*"  
"Did to,"  
"Uh, I hate to interrupt your little lovers' quarrel," Gary said, with a tinge of fear creeping into his voice. "But someone is at the door."  
"I'll get it," Ash said, getting up "Make sure Gabby doesn't touch my money...infact,"  
Ash grabbed the bundle of money and carried it away with him.  
At the door stood Brock...and...  
"Oh my God, Jenny what are you doing here?"  
  
  
Jenny wanted to die right then. Whilst she was with Brock, she still had all those unresolved feelings for Ash. It was mainly because of him that she had managed to convince her father to return home.   
She was sure that the thugs had followed them, but her dad had finally given in, and he wasn't going to testify against the drug-lord, which was great news as far as she and her mother were concerned.  
"Uh, I went on holidays...and, uh, I'm back now,"  
"And you're with Brock?" Ash inquired, in a less-than-polite tone.  
"Um yeah,"  
"Don't talk her down," the eternally possessive Brock defended "You and her ended."  
Jenny couldn't believe how out-right rude Brock was being.  
"Come in and join the party," Ash said coldly.  
  
  
Kishi jumped down on the couch "GABBY!"  
"What? Ash didn't say I couldn't help myself to his property. And now I have Park Lane and Mayfair, I'm gonna put hotels on them."  
"Don't you have to get four houses first?" asked James "And don't you have to pay?"  
"Hey! You've got a point, the bank should pay ME for beautifying their city." Gabby exclaimed, withdrawing a small bundle of $500 notes.  
Lance shuffled uncertainly around on his feet, but Hitmonchan had already settled himself up as the banker, and he had a few tricks up his sleeve.  
"*If you want to take up a loan*" Hitmonchan said "*There is a small $3000 down-payment*"  
"What did he say...hey! He can't take my money!"  
"You can't take his, so shut up and play properly," Gary snapped.  
"Guys, Brock and Jenny are here," Ash introduced with venom in his voice.  
"Jenny?!" Kishi exclaimed "I thought you'd gone...gone...er, somewhere?"  
"Well I did," she answered shyly "But I'm here now,"  
Brock took her hand and signaled for Kishi to make room on the sofa.  
"*THAT'S IT!*" Hitmonchan exploded "*I CAN'T PLAY THIS EFFED UP GAME WITH GABBY! SHE CHEATS MORE THAN BREATHES!*"  
Although it was only Kishi and Lance that understood him, he made his message quite clear by kicking the game board clear across he room. As an afterthought he slammed the bank down next to it.  
"What is with your Pokemon?" Gary asked Lance edgily, wanting to provoke him, but quite to the point where he'd fight back.  
"Got quite a temper, don't he?" Lance said calmly, finding a comfortable position on the recliner.  
"I'm thirsty," whined Gabby "Where d'you keep the Milo?"  
Ash led her into the kitchen.  
Moments later there was an exclamation in Ash's voice. "Two scoops? That is kid stuff, Milo is only good when you get a 5cm layer of chocolate goop on top of the milk that you can spoon out and eat. Belissimo."  
There was then an almighty clatter, and the whispery sound of powder being stepped on.  
"I'm not cleaning it up." Gary said straight away.  
"There is the door again," observed James, making no move to get up.  
"I'll get it," Kishi offered before Jenny could. "Because some lazy cheating, scheming, self-absorbed villain won't."  
And with a meaningful look at James, she ran to the door.  
Snap and Cassidy stood there, an arm around eachother.  
"Oh," Kishi said in utter shock, this wouldn't go down well with Gary "Come in,"  
As she led the happy couple to the lounge she just couldn't believe the school nerd was with the baddest-of-the-bad girls, Cassidy.  
"What's this?" hissed Gary "Cassidy's found herself a sympathy boyfriend. What are you trying to do, insult me?"  
"No," Cassidy said in a steely voice.  
"Come on, is this to show me up? Is this some I-can-do-better-than-you crap? Or is this to make me jealous, huh?"  
"It's none of the above," Cassidy said bitterly "I love him."  
Gary rose to his feet and stood very close to Snap. "You wanna fight for her, freak-boy? Cos you ain't good enough for her."  
Before Cassidy or anyone else could stop him, Gary took a swipe at Snap, catching him in the ribs.  
Snap jumped back, but Gary leapt at him, pushing him to the ground.  
Snap gasped in pain as Gary forced his shoulders into the floor.  
"Get off him!" Lance yelled, coming in and throwing, literally throwing, Gary out of the way.  
"Oof, it is the freak police,"  
"Back off Gary, you're way outta line," Lance sneered "You can stuff your stupid jealousy thing up your ass, cos no-one cares,"  
Gary got up, hatred plainly plastered across his face. "Lance, we don't need you to intervene. Snap can defend himself."  
Snap, who was sitting with his arm around Cassidy on the couch where Brock and Jenny had left a spot for them.  
Kishi had left, and was standing by Lance's side. She was making sure that neither boy made a move to attack.  
"Look, Gary, I know that you feel a lot for Cassidy, and if you do, you have to understand that she has finally found happiness with Snap. If you try and break them up you'd just be hurting her." Kishi soothed.  
She turned to Lance. "I know you had to stop Gary, but it is over now, can't you two just settle your differences?"  
"Fat chance," muttered Gary "He is too different for me,"  
Kishi sent Gary a murderous glance, and then the front doorbell rang.  
Trrring Trrring   
Kishi threw the two feuding guys a warning glance and ran to get the door.  
Standing before her was Misty, in a dark blue mini-skirt and a red satin bikini-top. A very un-Misty-like out-fit, and her make-up made her look like a cheap slut.  
"Misty! You're back?"  
"What's the matter with it?" Misty snapped "Oh yeah, how could I forget, you just stabbed it."  
"What to do you mean?" Kishi gasped, amazed at the venom in her usually calm and serene best friend's voice.  
"You know what I mean...remember James?"  
Kishi suddenly remembered how much Misty had felt for James.  
"Look, James and I were a big, twisted mistake," Kishi apologized.  
"I don't wanna hear it," Misty said, shoving Kishi aside.  
Kishi stared out at the road. Her life just couldn't slip any further away from her control, could it? First James, then the lottery, then her love-life and her traitorous cousin...and Sabrina wouldn't allow her back into the Gym.  
Nothing was turning out like she had planned.  
And, as a very appropriate gesture, a radio inside the house was switched on, and 'These days' by Powderfinger filled the air.  
'These days turned out nothing like I had planned' the mournful tune played. Tears struggled into Kishi's eyes and she slammed the door.  
Lance crept up behind her.  
"Kishi? Are you OK?"   
"Do I look it?" she snapped, turning to him.  
"Kishi, don't cry. You were the first person to speak to me at this f***ed up school, and whether you like it or not, you're my friend, and I don't wanna see you upset."  
"Thanks for the thought, Lance, but I don't see a reason not to cry. My life is totally screwed."  
"Hey, don't say that," Lance said, looking into her eyes "You've got me."  
She hiccuped and laughed "Yeah, that's great,"  
"See, that's better," Lance smiled "We'd better go and stop Misty tearing Ash to shreds," he added grimly as insults began to scream through the atmosphere.  
  
  
"Ash, you are a stupid prick! You deserve to die! I wish you had died!"  
Ash's eyes flooded with tears. "You can't mean that."  
"Why not? I want you to be dead. Why can't you be dead?"  
Misty's voice began to waver, and she stepped up to him. "Asshole." She whispered, before slapping him heavily across the face.  
Ash collapsed to his feet, hot tears burning his stinging cheek.  
"Misty stop!" Kishi cried in a futile attempt to curb her friend. "Ash was drunk...and you shouldn't have taken it so hard."  
"Oh well looky here. It seems my back-stabbing best friend has decided not to stand by me to protect her darling Ashy-boy, well you can have him. I don't need him or any of you. From now on I hate you all, and if you ever cross my path, I won't hesitate to kill you."  
And with that she waltzed calmly out of the room, leaving a group of very stunned people in her wake.  
  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
Is there a budding romance between Lance and Kishi? What's going to happen to Jessibelle and Butch, are they really over? Does Jenny really even like Brock? Can Gary control himself? What's the story with Jessi? Who's the new boy? And is there feelings between James and Gabby?  
  
  
Find out next time!  
  
  
Love,  
Mew2  
  
  
  



	9. Default Chapter Title

Poketech High #12, Complications and Resolutions  
  
FIRSTLY, A NOTE FROM ME- I have turned back time...I never quit, and I owe this to all to my friends (especially Mr. Emerid).   
My resignation was just a snowball kinda thing, you see, first Jessajewel (I think) and then Mr Emerid, then me, then Mystic Vaporeon, who next?  
I beg you all not to follow this trend, it is ridiculous. Four talented authors in a row. No thankyou.  
Anyway I'm buzzing with new ideas, even a new interview show called 'Getting Personal...' (not as racy as name implies!) with questions on embarrassing situations, some hypothetical problems to overcome, a few finish-the-sentence's...you get the idea...  
  
  
TOTAL NEWS- Just as I started to type this, 'Deeper Waters' by Deadstar came on the radio...and by utter coincidence this is the chosen Theme Song for Poketech High...fate, or what?  
  
Last time...Ash had a bunch of friends around to help clean up his house, but not a lot of cleaning went on, and they were rudely interrupted by Misty, who gave them all a piece of her mind. We also learnt there is another new guy (many of you will have probably guessed who he is by now).  
  
  
What happened to Jessi? What's going on between Butch and Jessibelle? Find out in this, the twelfth installment in the popular teen series.  
  
Saturday.  
  
BUTCH  
Butch gave a deep sigh as bent over and retrieved a soggy newspaper page from the wet asphalt. The town looked disgusting, the hurricane had tipped rubbish bins over, scattering waste paper everywhere. He'd offered to help pick it all up, rather than stay at home and play his Playstation, which he know realized, he would rather do.  
He was wearing pink rubber gloves so he didn't get any disease-ridden paper germs on him, and he was carrying a half-full plastic bag, which was half-full of disease-ridden paper.  
His mind drifted off, to less pleasant thoughts of Jessibelle. The previous night she had called it off, completely. Now she was bosom-buddies with good 'ol Joy Ferry. Butch couldn't believe how unfair Belle was being about the whole thing. Joy lied about being pregnant, Jessibelle dumped him, and became best friends with Joy. It didn't even make sense, but then, little Jessibelle ever did made sense.  
He threw a dejected glance at the messy street ahead of him. He had a lot of work do before the sun went down, and the worst thing was he had no-one to do it with.  
Sure, picking up moldy papier-mache wasn't at the top of anyone's fun list, but doing it with friends did greatly increase it on the fun-meter.  
  
  
JESSI  
Jessi steadied herself and knocked on the door to her Cerulean City home.  
Miranda answered the door, wearing less than she usually did.  
"Jessi?" Miranda said, her brow furrowed "You stupid bitch! Don't you know how worried Mum's been?"  
Jessi shuffled her feet a little, finding her sister the only one she couldn't stand up to.  
"Sorry," Jessi mumbled.  
Miranda crossed her arms and took up as much space as she could, not allowing her younger sibling in until she had been interrogated fully.  
"Cassidy told me you'd gone and joined some biker gang, I didn't believe her at first, I thought you an' her had had some row again, but later I realized it was the truth."  
Jessi looked up into her sister's heavily black lined eyes. Jessi's face was bruised and grazed from the accident on the bridge, she was letting the weight off one leg, and her arm hurt when she bent it.  
Amazingly Miranda's face softened. "You're a mess"  
"I know," Jessi said slowly.  
"Come in...we'll slap a few Band-Aids on ya an' then we'll talk it over."  
"Thanks Miranda," Jessi said with a smile.  
  
  
ASH  
Daisy nervously wrung her fingers in her lap. "Look Ash, we know that Misty hasn't, like, been acting herself lately...but you shouldn't rake what she says to heart, you know?"  
Ash hung his head even lower as he sat next to her in the bleachers of Cerulean Gym. "Yeah, but I said some horrible things to her."  
"And well, like, she's said some horrible things to you...perhaps you two should just make friends again, eh?"  
Ash felt even worse. "Look, Daisy, you've been a great friend through all of this, and your sisters and I probably understand Misty better than anyone else, except Kishi that is, and this time I know that is final. I've never seen her like this before, she's changed, and she hates my guts, and that is the way it'll be for a long time now..."  
"Well that's an idea..." Daisy a little naughtily "You could always ask Kishi to read Misty's mind and see what is up with her."  
"Kishi won't do that," Ash smiled dryly "It is against her ethics."  
"Well didn't Misty, like, go off at her for James? Maybe Kishi feels bad and she might wanna know what's going on too."  
Ash shrugged. It was probably the best thing he could do...well he was supposed to be helping Daisy, Violet and Lily with the Gym...but this was more important. As though Daisy could see into his thoughts she said "Go on, we'll cope without you."  
Smiling faintly Ash left the Gym in the direction of the Ogawa residence, that is Kishi's...he wouldn't really want to run into Gabby, although they were friends of a kind, he didn't feel up to facing her.  
  
  
KISHI  
"I see no reason for you to be here." Sabrina said coldly.  
"I wanted to help out..." Kishi said meakly.  
"Kishi, you did the wrong thing, and I find that hard to forgive, go back to your studies and your boyfriend, your career here has ended."  
Tears welled up in Kishi's ever-changing eyes. "Come on Sabrina, my best friend was gonna die...what else could I have done?"  
Sabrina puffed up angrily. "You could have helped Ash with his fundraising or asked your rich boyfriend James-darling for some cash."  
"James is no longer mine." Kishi said, trying to hold her wavering voice steady.  
"Oh how could I forget, your bimbo cousin and James are the hottest item in Cerulean, but I guess you must have known that already." Spat Sabrina. It was true the Psychic was never partial to large displays of emotion, but do the wrong thing by her and...BOOM! , Volcano erupting.  
Bitter tears stung Kishi's eyes as she turned away. Sabrina never lied about anything, and if she said James and Gabby were on, they were.  
"Gabby is not a bimbo!" Kishi screeched in anger "She is so clever! But she knows that she wants to be in the 'in' crowd she has to act ditzy, tell me, what is wrong with wanting to be popular?"  
Sabrina flicked a strand of bottle green hair out of her eyes in disgust. "Well I think putting up a phony front to gain social status is the stupidest thing in human existence, besides, the quote :popular: unquote, people are usually too wrapped up in being 'popular' t be true friends"  
Kishi sneered, at a loss for words. Was it only now that Sabrina could say how she really felt about Gabby? What kind of friend was she?   
Suddenly Kishi knew she didn't need Sabrina. So what if her Gym work was over? Being broke and without a teacher was better than listening to Sabrina bitch about her cousin.  
"God, well if you had ever HAD any friends, Sabrina, you would know that the popular people are no different from the freaks, they are still good friends. I had thought we were good friends too, well hah, if we were, we ain't anymore."  
And then Sabrina watched with a piercing stare as Kishi exited the Gym with her aura swirling hatred.  
Sabrina smiled dryly, emotions, emotions...what fun they are to toy with.  
  
  
JENNY  
Jenny tried to pretend she wasn't feeling Brock's arm around her waist, she tried to pretend she was in the fun-loving arms of Ash.   
Just seeing him the other day had resurfaced all of her feelings for him, and seeing the look on his face when she and Brock rocked up on the doorstep had left her struggling not to reach out and hold him.  
She bent down and with a wrinkled nose, she placed a rotting banana into her garbage bag.  
She and Brock were helping to clean to the school, though they were barely making a dent in it.  
And she had 'Happier Sad' by Jebediah stuck in her head...not the actual song but the music, and her thoughts were dancing along to it.   
Put together, these factors were eating away at her mind from the inside. It was times like these that really got to her. She loved to always be confident and in control...which was odd, because whenever she was with Brock (which as a side note, was constantly) everything seemed so out of her control.  
She always just shrank back and imagined herself somewhere else...with Ash by her side.  
'All these emotional feelings I can't ignore' sang her brain.  
Looking sadly at the littered basketball court, she wondered why she wasn't strong enough to break away from Brock.  
'Am I happier sad?'  
  
JESSI  
"Is dad back yet?" Jessi asked quietly, gritting her teeth to try and lesson the sting of Betadine on her cuts.  
Miranda looked up from the messy brown-stained cotton wool she was using to apply the antiseptic. "No."  
Jessi shifted her tongue around in her mouth, focusing her attention her gums rather than her sneering sister.  
"Have you...no, never mind," Jessi said hurriedly "It doesn't matter."  
Miranda dropped the cotton wool next to the chair that Jessi was sitting at. It made a slight brown stain on the dirty beige carpet, which had once been white, but with the neglect it had previously suffered, it had gathered enough dust and dirt to make a dust mite run for its life.  
"Yes, it DOES matter," Miranda snapped "Spit it out,"  
"I was just wondering if you'd got a job...since money is tight and all."  
Miranda stiffened. "I do. And mum is at an interview today."  
"Oh," sighed Jessi in relief "That's good."  
Miranda shook her head in embarrassment and cleared the floor of the cotton wool, discarded Band-Aid wrappers and antiseptic.  
Jessi noted her sister's brief uneasiness and stored it away in her mind to puzzle over later on.  
She had more important things to do. Like face James.  
  
  
JAMES  
James absently let Gabby's face flash before his eyes as he unwrapped his legs from the exercise bicycle.  
He stripped off his white T-shirt and used it to mop his sweaty brow. His longing to be with her had constantly hindered his workout.  
"Master James?" asked the butler, Hopkins, as he broke into James's annoyed thoughts "A miss Jessica is here to see you."  
Jessi? What was she doing here? After recently discovering his sensitive side, the last person James was interested in seeing was the bold and brash biker-runaway.  
"Tell her I'm busy," James said, dropping the shirt to his feet.  
"Uh...it is a little late my master," Hopkins bowed, moving backwards to let the girl through.  
"I let myself in," she said, with her usual confidence.  
"Is this okay, Master?" asked Hopkins in a small voice.  
James sighed in resignation. "I don't see why not."  
"Good," Jessi grinned "Beat it, penguin-legs."  
Hopkins puffed himself up, and waited for James to nod him out of the gym.  
'What is it, Jessi?" James asked, sitting down on the edge of the pool.  
Jessi didn't reply, but her eyes did rove over his half-naked body, taking it all in.  
"Do you mind?" he snapped irritably, already angry enough at her for the intrusion of his home, he didn't particularly want to waste time letting her perve on him, either.  
"Not at all." She grinned again "But I'm sure you didn't mind standing me up."  
James shot her a confused look. Standing her up? What the hell was the bitch talking about? Then he remembered...he had stood her up, a week or so ago...possibly longer.  
"Is this about McDonalds?" James asked with a raised eyebrow. His stomach gave a small twist as he saw the partially covered scabs and sores on her body. If she had injuries like that, she should do the world a favor and wear something a little less skimpy then a black halter-top and matching mini-skirt.  
"Where else?" she said, narrowing her eyes.  
James suspected, but he couldn't be sure, that Jessi didn't actually like him anymore, and she was getting revenge.  
"Where indeed." James answered softly, looking away.  
"Do you want to apologise?" Jessi spat bitterly, leaning down so she was level with his face.  
"No." James said coolly.  
This seemed to infuriate Jessi, and she puffed herself up. "Then you have just made a powerful enemy, James. When you least expect it, I will strike, and leave you crying."  
With that, she stalked away.  
James wrinkled his nose in an attempt not to laugh. She was such a bimbo, as if she could ever actually hurt him. She must have industrial-strength delusions if she truly believed what she did had any effect on him.  
He shook his head and retrieved his T-shirt from the Gym floor. He needed something to eat.  
  
CASSIDY  
Cassidy twisted the phone cord around her little finger. "So it is really off between you and Butch?"  
On the other line, Jessibelle scoffed. "Uh...hello? He slept with someone else while I was in hospital. What would you do?"  
"Well Snap wouldn't do that." Cassidy said.  
"Well, we all wish we could have the perfect relationship like you do." Jessibelle said with a dry note.  
"It was just that, well, Snap and I were wondering if you guys wanted to go on a double-date?"  
"I'd rather be dead," Jessibelle said angrily.  
"O...K... well, is there anyone else you could bring?"  
"Listen Cass, it is too soon, I know you don't take much to move one, but Butch and I had been together for seven months. It's different to your schoolboy crushes."  
Cassidy had an urge to scream a few insults at the red-head, but after her vow to get Jessi, she wasn't sure if she wanted to lose another friend too soon.  
"Did you hear Jessi is back in town?" Jessibelle added, as though reading Cassidy's mind.  
"Really?" Cassidy asked slyly.  
"Yeah, Joy spotted her heading over to James's place."  
"Really?" Cassidy asked, in a (if possible) more sly tone than before.  
"Bit odd, I thought...considering Gabby is supposedly on with James"  
"Quite odd..." Cassidy grinned to herself. She cracked her knuckles, revenge was in nigh.  
"Are you OK?" Jessibelle asked cautiously.  
"Perfectly fine,"   
"You're planning something, aren't you?"  
"You'll see."  
  
  
KISHI  
Kishi groaned and made her way to answer the door. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," she grumbled. "Oh, hi Ash."  
She tried to hide her disappointment that it wasn't Lance, he was probably the only one who could make her feel slightly better.  
"Yeah...Kishi, I'll get straight to the point; I need your help."  
Kishi whirled around to face him as she led him into the living room.  
"You want me to read Misty's mind, right?" she said, her feelings on the matter unclear.  
"Uh...yeah," Ash said in a small voice.  
Kishi pushed her blue fringe out of her eyes and sat down on the modern navy blue couch, the most recent addition to the family.  
"I think you know where I stand on this matter," she said coldly.  
"Yeah, but you gotta help me...don't you want to know if she hates you?" Ash asked, plonking himself beside her.  
"Look Ash, powers might seem great fun for someone who doesn't have them, but if you do, you want to use them as little as possible."  
Ash looked slightly disbelieving.  
"No, it is serious. I don't want to know every single thing that is going to happen, I'd like to live a normal a life please."  
Ash's eyes came over with a faraway look. "I get it, powers aren't all they're cracked up to be, right?"  
"Right," Kishi said, trying to hide her shock that Ash, of all people, had understood how she felt.  
"Well, love ain't all it's cracked up to be either," Ash said, getting up. "I'll see you around."  
  
  
MISTY (about time!)  
Misty wandered aimlessly around the swamp. She'd left the nature track and the boardwalk in favor of walking around in the scrub, although she hadn't actually gone in the water yet.  
Her discman was playing the harsh, depressing sounds of silverchair's Neon Ballroom. Particularly the current song, Black Tangled Heart, one of her favorites.  
Her eyes were misted over with tears over how everything had turned out, she was now fighting with Kishi and Ash, the people previously closest to her.  
But Kishi had betrayed her, and Ash, well it hurt too much to think about him.  
The problem was that she loved him more than ever, but knew if she got close to him again, he would hurt her. So she was going to reverse the roles and make Ash suffer for all he had done.  
Knowing Ash, he was probably sinking into despair and blaming himself for everything, which suited Misty fine, because everything was his fault.  
"Take the rope to my heart  
And fall  
You may just be the last  
Before you see the black tangled heart   
Fall for you"  
She sung bitterly, picking up a stick from the moist ground.  
The Cerulean Wetland Reserve looked dumpier than usual, with all the trees bent and blown over, and the water had risen considerably from two large ponds into a small lake.  
She flung it into the green glop to her right. It made a foul sucking sound before the smooth twig sunk beneath the surface. Her stomach lurched uneasily.  
Things had gone too far, she hadn't really meant to begin such a war with her two longest companions. Or had she, remembering the entries into her diary, her determination to make them pay. Perhaps if Ash loved her enough he could change the situation and save himself. But she doubted it.  
  
  
MYSTERY NEW CHARACTER  
The boy raised an eyebrow in disgust over the large two-story house that was to become his new home.  
"Don't you like it, son?" his mother asked with concern.  
"It's to big for him, he's worried he'll lose his tiny brain in it and never find it again," Regina cackled.  
The boy absently slapped her on the head, receiving a warning glance from his mother. He shrugged, and kicked at the Sold sign on the front lawn. He'd entered the Hellmouth, but he was yet to face the tortures.  
  
  
To be continued............this one is a more of leader to the next part.........which, I can safely say, is going to be quite exciting.  
  
  
Love,  
Mew2  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. Default Chapter Title

Poketech High 13

So now I'm going to leave you with today's theme, and that is simply entitled 'Koseisa' or justice. And in this episode, justice will be done!

SUNDAY-

LANCE

Lance gingerly ran his hand over the park bench, feeling the hard, rough surface. Such a lovely bed it was, so nice and soft.

Hitmonchan shot him a worried glance. "*We shouldn't have to live out here, you know, we could always go back home*"

"Hah! I wouldn't go back if you paid me!" Lance scoffed "It might be a bit tough out here, but I'd rather stay _here _than…never mind"

"*Man…I _do _mind!*" Hitmonchan answered curtly.

Lance just pulled his overcoat collar higher and adjusted his sunglasses.

"What?" he asked, noticing the funny look Hitmonchan was giving him.

"*Dude, it is midsummer, like 50 ° C, and you are all in black, wearing a freakin' overcoat. Are you not hot?*"

Lance gave Hitmonchan a look as though the concept of heat had only just been explained to him.

"No."

"*What am I going to do with you?*" Hitmonchan sighed "*Why don't you get a girlfriend?*"

"Why don't you?" Lance shot back irritably.

"*How do you know I don't?*"

Lance raised an eyebrow and looked directly at Hitmonchan.

After about forty seconds both of them burst into laughter, which lasted for about a minute, before Hitmonchan's jaw dropped and his eyes popped.

"*_Wow_*"

"Huh?" asked Lance, coughing a little. "What is it?"

"*More like _who_ is it*" Hitmonchan answered absent-mindedly, pointing as discreetly as he could manage, which I warn you, was not all that much.

Lance saw an athletic looking lady jogging along in a crop top and tiny little shorts.

"_You_? A _human_?" Lance said, choking in shock "YOU? You, of all er…Pokmon, find a HUMAN attractive?"

"*Shut up*" Hitmonchan hissed, clamping a glove over Lance's mouth "*Don't undermine me. Not her, ya numbskull*"

"Who then…oh…"

Lance brushed Hitmonchan's hand aside as he saw a female Hitmonlee running alongside the woman.

"Oh…I get it now!"

Hitmonchan shoved Lance forward "*Come on man! We gotta get our butts into gear and strike up a conversation with them*"

"What? We? Excuse me, are you nuts? What do I have to do with this?"

"*That gal is a total babe.*" answered Hitmonchan "*Let's go get 'em!*"

"Hold it, little buddy, what exactly do you want me to say 'Lovely weather for jogging, isn't it? My friend here wonders if your Hitmonlee wants a date tonight'?"

"*Yeah, yeah, that'll do*" Hitmonchan muttered without thinking.

"Don't be dumb! Nobody jogs in summer wearing an overcoat!"

Hitmonchan just shoved Lance again, who sighed and jogged up behind the brunette.

KISHI

Kishi and Jenny giggled together as they made their way to the Public Pool in bikinis and sarongs, taking the longer but significantly shadier path through the Park.

"Thankyou for inviting me," Jenny gushed "One more minute with Brock and I would have had a breakdown!"

Kishi shot her friend a worried look, and Jenny raised her hand to her mouth, turning red, she didn't want anyone to know she couldn't handle him.

Wanting to change the subject before Kishi could start one of her _'you deserve better and you need to stand up for yourself'_ lectures, Jenny pointed.

"Isn't that Lance Park?"

Kishi looked up a little too quickly, noticing him talking to a slim brunette with a Hitmonlee by her side. The lady kept flicking her long ponytail back and forth, trying to make herself look as attractive as possible.

"Who's that?" Jenny asked.

Kishi narrowed her eyes. She was jealous…she knew it, but _why_? She and Lance were really good friends, and that was as far as it went, or at least, as far as she was prepared to let it go.

"I don't know." Kishi said coldly "Come on, before the pool is overrun by first graders."

JESSI

Jessi glanced up suspiciously as Miranda fumbled for the car keys on the bench. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"To work," Miranda answered coldly.

"On a _Sunday_? Pull the other one that plays the Pokerap!" Jessi exclaimed, flicking through her girlie magazine absently.

Miranda looked down at her feet and set her jaw. "Yes."

Jessi watched as her sister bustled out of the house. She was acting mighty furtively, in fact, if Jessi didn't know better, she'd swear the older girl was having a secret relationship.

__

I like secrets, Jessi thought sneakily, _perhaps I'd better find one to uncover_.

Jessi waited until she heard the car pull out of the driveway, and then she hurried out of the house, preparing herself to follow on foot and hoping she wouldn't be running all the way to the Orange Islands.

LANCE

Lance fiddled fiddled insistently with the hat in his hands, not at all interested in whatever it was that Wendy, the fitness freak owner of Leela, the lady Hitmonlee, had to say.

"So then, the headmaster says 'Your track record has been so impressive,' and I was like 'Yes!' and then I got the job."

"That's nice," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand, noticing Kishi and some girl he'd met the other day at Ash's…Jenny, that was her name, heading towards the pool.

"So have you heard about Pokemon Technical?" Wendy persisted.

Lance ignored her, his eyes locking with Kishi's. Kishi's face changed, softened somehow, before she shook herself slightly and turned away.

Lance looked at his feet, Kishi had obviously thought he was chatting Wendy up.

"Did you hear me? I was asking about Pokemon Technical," Wendy persisted.

"Huh?" Lance queried "Did you say something about PokeTech High?"

"_Yeah_," Wendy asserted "I'm teaching Phys Ed there,"

Lance's jaw dropped.

"_You're_ the new P.E. teacher?"

From his short distance away, Hitmonchan cocked his head in interest.

"Yes I am, quite a career move I say…I look forward to the experience,"

Lance was still in a state of shock. Not only would he have to put up with her irritating voice, but there was a chance it could screw things up between himself and Kishi, and if rumors start that he was chatting up a teacher…

SNAP

Snap looked around at the Cerulean City Ice-Cream Parlor for an idea for a photo, deciding half-heartedly of the Pikachu Soft-Serve Cone, very kitsch. He yawned and returned his arm to Cassidy's shoulder. "So," he began "What exactly are you going to do to Jessi?"

Cassidy grinned and offered her beau a sip of strawberry milkshake. He accepted and slurped away.

"That, Snap dearest, is exactly what Belle asked me. And in response to both of your questions, you'll see," Cassidy smiled.

"Does Jessibelle hate Jessi as well?" inquired Snap.

"Seems that way," Cassidy nodded, giving him a peck on the cheek "I don't think she has any friends anymore,"

Snap snickered, Cassidy was such a bitch, gaining pleasure by one of her ex-friends current socially deficient status. But even if she was a bitch, she was _his_ bitch.

"Isn't she friends with Gabby or something?" he asked.

"Nah, Gabby's a sheep, whatever the crowd do, she'll do,"

GABBY

"What is the deal with people befriending freaks?" Gabby exclaimed as loudly as she could, directing her comment to Cassidy and Snap at the other end of the building, neither seemed to hear her.

Opposite her on the table, Gary grinned. "I know, first them two, and then Belle and Joy. What is the world coming to?"

"Nah, Gabby's a sheep, whatever the crowd do, she'll do," Cassidy said in exaggeration, stretching her arms above her head and grinning.

Gabby grinned back, but inside she was ropeable. She supposed it was kinda true…and she didn't like it…sure it had been one of Cass's snide comebacks, but, well, Gabby had liked to imagine that she was confident and individualistic.

In light of this new information, Gabby suddenly realized she may be the only one who did.

She noticed Gary staring sadly at the happy couple across the room as they deserted their shakes for a pash-fest. _Poor guy_, thought Gabby with sympathy,_ I don't have it as hard as him…he really loved Cass, and he really hated Snap._

"One day," Gary spoke, breaking free of his gaze "I'm gonna belt Snap's head in."

Gabby smiled sympathetically, but vacantly, at her friend, and placed her hand atop his.

"You're twice the man he is," she said seriously.

He smiled.

She smiled.

JESSI

Jessi scrutinised her fingertips as she noted the dark blue '93 Ford rolling up the driveway to some seedy looking brick veneer building, with 'Enterprising Enterprises' scribbled in red spraypaint over an illegible sign.

Tags in various colours lined the building's walls, giving the appearance of blotchy tattooed skin. Jessi watched Miranda exit the car, slamming the door quietly, glancing around her nervously, and not noticing Jessi leaning against the Coin Laundry wall, and entering the building through the paint-chipped wooden door.

Jessi tapped her foot absently, counting to one hundred in seconds.

"One, Jessi rules, two, Jessi rules, three, thousand, four, thousand…" she murmured.

__

Time Lapse Storytelling- ninety-six seconds have passed and Jessi will enter the building.

Jessi swept a hand back over her hair and scratched her knee with fervent animation. Then with an exaggerated secretive smile, she tiptoed to the building door…

JENNY

Jenny and Kishi law on the turf beside the pool, sunbaking on their backs. Kishi was using an arm to shield her eyes from the sun, but ever-sensible Jenny, had remembered to bring a pair of sunglasses.

Kishi stirred, bringing herself up to rest on one arm in a sitting position. "You and Brock seem awful close," she started.

Jenny fidgeted uncomfortably, lifting the glasses off her nose. "Yeah…so?"

"Well I was just wondering how far you'd gone, you know?"

Jenny rolled onto her side, facing away from Kishi. This new viewpoint enabled her to see the main gate of the pool, and anyone entering it.

"Well, we've kissed…" Jenny said softly "but nothing else, at least, not what you mean,"

Kishi looked down at Jenny's body, it was curled slightly, and Jenny's hands were furiously fumbling with an oak leaf.

"You can say no, you know," Kishi supplied, making it painfully obvious that she knew Jenny wasn't ready, and that Jenny wasn't even interested in Brock.

Jenny stayed very quiet, before a thankful figure of a guy in an overcoat came running up, the tail of his coat fanning out behind him as he ran.

"'Tis your loyal suitor," Jenny announced, gesturing at him.

Kishi's eyes widened and cheeks flushed a rosy pink. "Lance," she nodded.

Lance arrived, and then bent over puffing. "Hi," he said inbetween pants, with a respective nod of his head.

"What did you run for?" Kishi asked, pulling herself into a cross-legged position.

"Needed…to…talk,"

"Oh…right, OK, well I'll go," Jenny said coldly, gathering up her towel and wandering off.

"What's up her butt?" Lance asked, fully recovered, plonking himself onto her recently vacated locale.

"Boy problems," Kishi apologised "We all have our fair share,"

Lance and Kishi both immediately quietened for a minute or so, staring straight ahead.

"Yeah…" Lance said finally.

"Where's Hitmonchan?" Kishi inquired, sticking to a neutral topic.

"Off scoring," Lance said with a shrug.

Kishi turned away again, wishing Lance had formulated a neutral answer.

"What?" Kishi asked listlessly.

"He's off scoring…some lady Hitmonlee…Leela, I think it was,"

"Oh…right…" Kishi responded blankly. "I wish him luck,"

Lance turned to look at her, studying the profile of her face as she nibbled on her lower lip. "He won't need it. He has the charm,"

"Gary has the charm…" Kishi said sadly "Poor Gary…"

It was then Lance's turn to become uncomfortable. Could it be possible from Kishi's statement to draw the conclusion that she liked him?

"Yeah…poor Gary…" Lance said sarcastically "I hate that guy,"

Kishi turned to glare sharply at Lance. "You shouldn't. That guy is hilariously funny, he is a great friend and a great person."

Lance scoffed. "I didn't come to hear that bastard praised,"

"What did you come for, then?" Kishi asked sharply.

"About before…"

"Before…"

"Yeah…with Wendy…"

"So Wendy is it?" Kishi said coldly.

"Yeah well, she's the new PE teacher, and she was wondering if I was a student at PokeTech."

Kishi looked at Lance with a raised eyebrow. "Right. OK. Yep. Should have known by body language alone that she definitely wasn't interested in you."

Lance got defensive. "Why should you care?"

Kishi's brow furrowed. "I…care…about my friends."

Lance tilted his head. "Right."

"Right."

"I care about you, you know?" he said softly, getting up.

"Yeah…me too…" she whispered as she watched Lance walk away.

JESSI

Jessi peeked through the gap in the slightly ajar door, her jaw dropping when her eyes fixed upon her sister, wearing little more than a tea-cosy, and posing suggestively.

"Miranda!" she yelled, barging in "For God's sake, what the bloody hell do you think you are _doing_, girl?"

Miranda's head snapped up, and she gasped.

"Get lost Jess!" she cried weakly, grabbing a shawl off the top of a nearby armchair.

"Gladly. Does Mum know about this?" Jessi demanded.

"Excuse me miss, but Miranda is busy…perhaps if you sort this out later, eh?" suggested a photographer, focusing his camera.

"Fat chance! Miranda, get in the car and go home, and put some bloody clothes on!"

And with that Jessi stormed away.

Miranda was left in her wake, and burst into tears, slipping on her bathrobe and running away weeping.

MYSTERY NEW CHARACTER

The dark-green haired youth made his way up the main street of Cerulean City, casting dejected and bored looks at the shop windows surrounding him._ What a dump_, he thought, quickening his pace and focusing his eyes on the ground,_ what would Estelle think of the place?_

"Ow!" a girl's voice cried as she slammed into him. He didn't bother looking up at her, he didn't care.

"Watch it!" she cried, grabbing him by the shoulder so he couldn't walk away. "Apologise you jerk!"

He wearily turned to face her. She looked like a tart, firey-orange hair, navy blue halter top, black mini-skirt, over-done make-up. Upon seeing him her face softened.

"Oh, you must be new…I'm Misty, hi,"

Misty extended her hand. The guy took it lethargically "Hi,"

"By chance, are you going to be attending Pokemon Technical?" 

The young man nodded. "Yeah, it is my first day tomorrow,"

"So who are you?" the girl asked directly.

The guy sighed. He didn't want to get involved with this girl. "Tracy. Must go, in rather a hurry,"

Tracy ran off, leaving Misty to grin to herself. "Well Trace, you're mine,"

JESSI

Jessi leant heavily on the doorframe of the car, watching her sister vacate the driving seat and slide into shotgun.

"Guess I'm drivin'" Jessi shrugged, getting in.

"Buckle up, front and back, your face will soon receive deep impact," shouted a voice from behind her.

Jessi turned smoothly to face Cassidy. "Get lost, Cass,"

Cassidy scoffed. "Don't try that, Jess, you're a f***ed up tart and I'm gonna belt your f***ing head in, so bring it on, bitch," she smiled simperingly.

Jessi looked away. She didn't want to fight Cass. She just wanted to get Miranda home and sort her out.

Cassidy's face remained in that sickeningly-sweet smile.

"Cassidy, just go back home to Snap, where you belong. I don't care two-f***ing-cents about you anymore, you got that? You're a dumb moll and a tryhard bitch, a bloody hopeless hack job. F*** off."

"Well, well, the truth comes out at bloody last. Well Jess, newsflash," Cassidy sneered, circling the girl in an intimidating manner "Nobody likes you, everybody hates you. I hate you, James hates you, Gabby hates you, Belle hates you, Gary hates you…poor Jessi has no friends. Aw, no friends,"

Jessi's reply stuck in her throat. It was true, that everyone hated her, is this what she had wanted? Everyone was a creep, Chopper, and Cassidy. Who had she left to turn to? She was struggling at school, why bother paying? She had no friends or status, why bother staying?

Jessi raised her hand and slapped Cassidy so bloody hard around the cheek that there was a huge red mark there ten minutes after the fight.

Cassidy leapt back as though she had been stung, grinning, and then she pushed Jessi up against the car and smashed her one in the jaw. 

Jessi lashed out with her right leg, and caught Cassidy in the hip. Smiling, Jessi raised her knee to attack Cassidy in the face when the girl doubled over. Instead, Cassidy used bother her fists to belt Jessi in the gut and pull herself up, scratching the red-head with her long, black nails.

Cassidy pushed Jessi's bare shoulders into the top of the car, digging her claws into the pale, exposed skin.

Jessi kicked and screamed, but Cassidy was far stronger, giving her a blood lip and black eye, before stepping back with a self-satisfied smile.

"Dirty whore," Cassidy hissed, cocking her head and giving a peace sign. 

Jessi glared at the girl through her swollen eyes, tears, sweat and blood mixing and cascading down her face. Her breathing came out ragged, and she was having trouble staying upright.

Cassidy turned on her heel and walked away, snickering.

With a last shaky breath Jessi collapsed onto the pavement, her bad leg curled at an odd angle, her mouth slightly open with a trickle of blood slipping out and forming a pool at her cheek.

A single pearly white tooth slid out into the pool.

Miranda, in the car, was too grief-stricken to even notice her sister's fight, let alone come to her aid. She was wrecked mentally, she couldn't move, she was hyper-ventilating and tears were streaming down her face, her eyes red and sore, her face moist with salt-water. 

TO BE CONTINUED…

The last three words (above) read exactly what they say…so wait with bated breath, right? Ciao!

Love yas!

Love,

Mew2

__


	11. Default Chapter Title

EPISODE 14

Last time- Jessi was bashed up by Cassidy, Lance and Kishi shared a tender moment, Hitmonchan put the moves on Leela and Gabby and Gary…well what happened there? And Misty? Looks like she's got the hots for the new boy. Wonder what Ash will say on this Monday, the first day back at school, and the day of some exams for some students.

MONDAY

MISTY

"Tracy! Hi! Good to see you!" Misty cried, rushing to his side in the lockeroom. "Oh wow, your locker is next to that of a real loser…oh there he is,"

Ash looked up from where he had dumped his bag. "Hi Misty," he said in a small voice, edging over to her.

"Trace, this is Ash, Ash this is my good friend Trace."

Misty paused to stroke Tracy on the shoulder for effect. Then she wrapped her hands around the back of his neck, pulling herself up to his eye level. "Now sweety, you never apologised for that time that you ran into me down the street,"

Ash's eyes widened with hurt and he swallowed hard. "Yeah well I don't want to watch you ruin another guy's life. Bye."

Misty smiled internally. Bingo. She'd hit the jackpot. She uncoiled herself from Tracy's frame and stalked off, leaving the poor guy to just boggle after her.

He'd been at the school a minimum of five minutes, and he had already been utterly freaked out. What an interesting time he had ahead of him.

KISHI

"Shit shitshitshit…I am gonna be so bloody late!" Kishi yelled, throwing herself forward, propelling herself across the road and into the park grounds.

She took a bite from the apple in one hand, and used the other to untuck her blouse, for ease of movement.

She continued to run until_, huh?_, there was a Hitmonchan leaning on a park bench. Could it be Lance's Hitmonchan?

"Hitmonchan!" she beckoned, waving, opting for the only way to find out. 

Hitmonchan whirled around guiltily. "*Oh dear*" he uttered, waving, "*Lance*" he hissed out of the corner of his mouth "*Kishi is here and she is noticing you sleeping on a park bench. I detect oncoming questions and sympathy*"

"Is Lance with you?" she called, coming ever closer. Thankfully a large trunked tree blocked Lance's waking form from her view.

"*Uh…no…*" Hitmonchan shook his head unconvincingly.

Kishi rounded a corner on the path, slowing to a jog.

"LANCE?"

Lance heaved himself up, scratching the nape of his neck. "Yeah?"

Then the situation hit him. "Yeah…"

"_WHY_ DIDN'T you _tell me?"_ she demanded "I could have organised a place to stay or got some cash or a job for you…"

"Kishi, Kishi, Kishi," Lance said, getting up and putting on the overcoat he'd been using as a blanket. "I didn't want your help…and I don't need it…"

"Bullshit you don't need it." Kishi scoffed "Hurry up we are so bloody late for school and we will discuss it on the way."

TRACY

"SO YOU ARE MOVING IN WITH ME AND THAT IS THAT!" a female voice cried as she stormed into homeroom.

"NOT LIKELY!" yelled a guy from somewhere else.

Tracy wrinkled his nose. This school was weird beyond belief.

"Oh my God Jessi what happened to you?!"

The girl who wanted the guy to move in with her held open the classroom door to allow Jessi, a red-head who looked like hell on legs, to enter. 

Jessi had a black eye, a split lip, a missing tooth, scabs all down her legs…and that was only what he could see. He shuddered to imagine what sorts of wounds folds of the blue and white uniform were concealing.

Jessi took her place up the back far corner, scowling for all she was worth. Then the blue-haired girl who wanted the guy to move in with her sat down two seats away from him in the middle.

"Miss Ogawa!" a shocked Mr. Gyabunga intoned "Miss Bradshaw! Why are you ladies late?" he demanded.

"Saving street kids," the-girl-who-wanted-the-guy-to-move-in-with her-Ogawa hissed bitterly.

"Yeah, me too," Jessi said quickly, without thinking.

The class laughed. 

"No I mean…I was saving the red panda…what? Just shut up and leave me alone,"

Tracy stifled laughter, staring in utter bemusual at Jessi. This school was way to weird for him. He missed his old stable friends.

The weirdest thing was that whilst all this had happened no one had looked particularly freaked out, or even interested. He shook his head. Would he survive the day?

He looked around the class. For the first time he noticed Misty, but not Ash. Misty was situated across the table from Jessi and glaring daggers at her.

"Well, here's today's bulletin kids, any Advanced Strat students?" asked Mr. Gyabunga.

Several people raised their hands.

"Well your double today has been canceled, I think you had that first up? Yep. Right-o. Also do we have any choir members? Practice at Lunch today, starting at 1. And as you well know some of the exams start today."

He looked down at his list. "Anyone doing Music Theory, Physics, Methods 1…uh…Drama, Strategy, Art Theory or Gym 1? They'll commence straight after lunch. I think they're all in the Gym, and Methods 1 is going to be held down in M6, at the oval, so if you're not sure, check with your teacher."

Tracy ran a hand through his hair. He was taking Advanced Strat, so he had the first two off, perhaps someone could show him around the school. He opened his diary and looked at the line-up, after the first double, he'd have English, Maths, Media Studies and something called Strat/Gym, of which he was unsure about.

"Hah, blessed freedom," the Ogawa girl sighed unhappily.

Misty turned and glared at her.

The Ogawa girl was visibly hurt, and she turned away.

Tracy was unsure as to why Misty was glaring at the Ogawa girl-

You can stop calling me the Ogawa girl now said a voice inside his head. I'm Kishi

LANCE

"Kishi?" he called, watching her exit the homeroom.

She looked up sharply, then, seeing who it was, she looked down at the ground ahead of her, making a sharp turn towards him.

"About moving in…I really do thank you for the offer, but me and Hitmonchan, you know, we're happy toughing it out,"

Kishi cleared her throat loudly. "Eh-hem…How long has it been since you ate a decent meal, slept in a decent bed?"

"About three weeks now," the boy shrugged easily.

Kishi reeled back, appalled. "Talk about bloody malnutrition, that settles the matter, Lance, you are moving in,"

"*I will*" Hitmonchan said traitorously.

Lance shot his companion a murderous look.

"*Nah seriously, I really think that it would be good, I mean, I hate the streets. It sucks total @$$ man*"

Lance's homicidal glower increased in power.

Kishi crossed her arms with smug victory, nodding triumphantly at her friend.

Fuming, Lance balled and unballed his fists, unsure of what reply to make.

Hitmonchan suddenly looked guilty, and he moved closer to Lance's side.

"Lance, for once in your life accept some bloody kindness! You can't always be self-sufficient, just grow up!"

Lance exhaled heavily. Kishi seemed to have hit the metaphorical nail on the head with the bloody biggest hammer she could find.

"Yeah," he uttered, admitting defeat "Play the martyr if it makes you feel special, but remember when you think you are doing the right thing, others may not,"

He smiled inwardly, she'd won, but he'd given her something to think about.

ASH

"Hey! Kishi! Come sit down!" called Ash from his position the ramp "You too, Hitmonchan, Lance…" he switched to a whisper "What is that new guy's name?"

"Tracy," Kishi responded.

"TRACY! ARE YOU A STRAT STUDENT?"

The new boy nodded shyly.

"Then come sit down!"

Tracy obliged pleasantly, taking up a seat between Kishi and Lance.

Before Ash could open his mouth to start a conversation, he'd noticed Joy and Jenny and invited them over as well. And Jessibelle followed them, though most did know she was in fact a Textiles, rather than Advanced Strategy, student.

"Hi," Jessibelle said boredly, but not disdainfully as Kishi had imagined, flopping down alongside Joy.

Responses of 'hi' and 'hey' shortly followed, before Jessibelle voiced her confession.

"I can't be stuffed with Textiles," she said openly, fiddling with the white ribbon in her hair.

"Understandable," Joy said, and the two pink-haired girls began to giggle. Jenny looked increasingly worried.

At first Kishi had pinned down Jenny's discomfort to the fact that her best friend was best friending someone else and her ex-boyfriend was sitting only a few feet away from her, but then she saw Brock approaching with Snap.

"What a crowd!" Ash noted with a whistle. "Sit down gang!"

Brock and Snap jostled a little, and flopped down at the end of the group.

"So how is everyone?" Jessibelle inquired with genuine interest "Did you see Jessi's face? That dog really had it coming!"

Kishi suddenly thought back to when she had used to read Jessi's thoughts to repel boredom. It seemed like an age ago, she had liked Ash back then. Smiling wryly, she looked at him with the eyes of a girl, rather than a friend. Not bad looking, rather cute, in a frisky kind of way. Not what she would go for, though.

Ash jerked up, sensing Kishi looking at him. Was she reading his thoughts? If she was, she would have to be the biggest bloody hypocrite…

"Jessi is such a bloody scrag," Joy said wholeheartedly, having a catty little bitch session with Jessibelle.

Jenny looked disgusted, as though she can't believe what her friend was saying. There was a time when Joy would never have even thought that someone like Cassidy would say a thing like that, and it wasn't even particularly bad.

"I hate her," Brock said.

Kishi's eyes flashed. Poor Jess! Sure, the girl had done some bad things, but everyone shouldn't hate her just cos it was the fashion! Bloody hell!

"I'm not a fan, and Cass…well…don't start me on how Cass feels about her!" Snap joined in confidently, and several laughs responded.

Jenny shuddered mentally, everyone had changed. Jessi was hated, Snap was popular, Joy was a bitch, Misty was a psycho-chick, Kishi and Sabrina were fighting…and then, more miraculous than it seemed, she was sitting just a few short feet away from the guy whom she know realised she loved more than any other. But a few short feet of that guy sat her boyfriend. 

As though on cue, Brock came and plonked himself next to her, his arm protectively placed around her shoulders. At first they were so close that their sides were touching, but Jenny had wriggled as discreetly as she could away from him. Now a gap of three centimetres separated them.

__

In a map, three centimetres can be the distance between countries, or in a science diagram three centimetres could be the size of the individual cells that make up the human body. The actual distance of three centimetres has been so warped out of proportion that there is no sense even using it, she thought dejectedly, wringing her hands in her lap. As an afterthought, she added,_ hey, that sounded pretty good. Almost metaphorical, in some way. Perhaps a metaphor for life…nah, life will always be the same._

She sighed. _But in that respect, it is always changing._

CASSIDY

Cassidy yawned loudly, not bothering to excuse herself. She hadn't really said much that lesson. Swore a few times, told the teacher where to get off. There wasn't really anyone to talk to. A bunch of needlepoint freaks and Jessi. Belle should have been there, but she wasn't. Probably wagging. Cassidy frowned. She supposed she should have skipped it too.

"F***ing sewing machine," she cursed in a whisper, her dark red lips parting in annoyance. It had kicked up the material at the back of the foot, tangling up the seam she was sewing. She had previously screen printed some fabric to make the front of the T-shirt, and she was now sewing it together. Though she doubted she'd ever wear it, she thought the design on front was pretty cool, a purple rose on a black background. Snap probably could have drawn something better, but for the purpose, the rose was serving well.

Jessi looked up, her azure eyes open wide and cloudy with worry. That girl looked a total wreck. There was a crackled river of dried blood from the base of her lip, which had obviously split again during the course of the morning. 

Cassidy narrowed her flashing violet eyes and thought about how lucky she was, after all, who else could say they had violet eyes? Long, shiny honey-coloured hair and beautiful skin? As far as she knew, no one. 

And then there was Jessi? Who else could say their face looked like it had been run over a cheese grater? Who else walked with a stumpy limp? Who else could never get a boyfriend if she tried?

__

Kishi, her brain answered its own question immediately.

She grinned bitchily.

"Excuse me class and teachers," buzzed the P.A system "But there is a meeting in the Gym for all year 10 students. If you are in an exam, do not leave the room, continue the exam. There will be another meeting for you people. Could all year 10 students leave their books in their rooms and report to the Gym immediately. All year 10 students not participating in an exam to the Gym immediately."

FIVE MINUTES LATER- IN THE GYM

MISTY

The Year 10s assembled in the Gym, rushing round to find places to sit. Eventually the students had all found a floor site.

Misty smiled a sarcastic smile at Ash and turned around to face Mr. Gyabunga as he made his way to the microphone.

"Sorry for dragging you away from your electives, kids," he smiled "But this won't take long. I know you can't bare staying away from schoolwork"

A lot of kids smiled and laughed. Mr. Gyabunga was popular among the students, he was of slender build and very tall with spiky grey hair. His eyes were sparkling icy blue, and they peered put from behind a thin pair of black-rimmed glasses.

Misty had used to enjoy his Science lessons, but now she was just sick of him altogether. Being that he was Kishi's homeroom teacher and all.

"Now if we care to cast our memories back to Year 9..."

Misty thought back. She'd been sweet, innocent, totally devoted her sisters and friends. What a naive little flower she had been.

"You'll remember the Saffron Experience, a two-week trip to Saffron City to see what it would be like to go to school in a big city."

Misty remembered that too. Jessi had cracked a spaz and run out onto the road and almost been hit by a car. That was the first time she'd ever worried about Jessi's safety. But in retrospect, it had been pretty funny watching Jessi's pale face contort in terror.

"Well after your mid-terms, we've arranged another a week long camp, this time to the wonderful wilderness,"

Groans echoed around the room while Misty scowled and stayed silent.

"The camp site has already been chosen, a large area over the Lavender Hills. At first we were going to make you hike it with packs, but instead we're going to get you there by four wheel drive."

Behind her, a couple of guys cheered. She turned around and sneered at their immaturity.

"Also, another change, we were going to make this lunchtime and information session, but now we're going to run it through the period."

The whole Gym erupted into applause and cheering.

"Ssh," Mr. Gyabunga laughed, settling them down "The camp is set three weeks from now. At the end of this meeting Miss Haruna will hand out the permission forms that your parents must fill in and you must return by the end of next week. There will be a clothing and item list, but we can run through that now, if you want."

Of course the students did want, and announced this enthusiastically. Misty stayed silent though, not wanting to break her composure.

"OK, you'll need a sleeping bag, sleeping mat, a proper hiking pack-that is, NO BACKPACKS!"

More kids laughed. Misty just wondered why he was so lame.

"Tents are gonna be supplied the school, and you can hire the packs, sleeping bags and sleeping mats from the school. We'll also supply the groundsheet. You're gonna need to take a WELL WORN pair of hiking boots, bathers, rain gear, Polar Fleece jackets, thermals, shorts, T-Shirts...MORE THAN ONE PAIR OF UNDERWEAR!"

The Gym responded with laughter. _Great,_ thought Misty, _toilet humor. Ha-ha. How funny can you possibly get?_

"The valley itself is beautiful, a large clearing in a pristine area, running alongside it is the river...to get there you'll have to do an hour hike along the creekbed...but that is a real cruise."

Misty looked around the sea of faces and saw that many of them where beaming with excitement. She intensified that hatred of her glare.

"Of course remember it is a wild place, and there will be plenty of wild Ekans coming to the river for drinks, but on the upside there will be abundant bird-life, so take a camera!

It would be great if you could carry a First Aid kit with you, and always stay in groups of two or more. We don't want you running off alone and being eaten by rabid Metapods!"

Misty's fellow Year 10s burst into raucous laughter. _Honestly_, her mind fumed, _that guy is seriously _not_ funny._

"On the matter of food-Gary you can stop strangling Snap now-, there will be no fresh stuff, so you'll be living on packet food. We've got packet rice, packet noodles, packet stir-fries...you name it...in packets. 

We've also got milk powder, Milo, coffee, tea...etc etc...for drinks, so bring as much water as you can. I'd say three one litre bottles?

Bring lots of energy snacks, jellybeans, chocolate etc. Remember once you have finished a choccy bar or whatever it may be, DON'T THROW OUT THE WRAPPER! Put it in your pocket or pack. No littering,"

The speaker paused to make sure all of his underlings had got the message. They had, so his speech he continued.

"What else? I'm sure I've forgotten a mammoth load of information. Ah yes, I suppose you'll be wondering what we'll do over there? Well the first day we'll use to get there and set-up camp, organise groups etc. We'll all then have dinner. The next day is a bludger too, swimming, a day where you can just wander off with friends looking for photo opportunities. The third and fourth days are going to be an overnight hike, and the fifth day will be spent having an outdoor sports carnival, with events like a tree-climbing race and stone-skipping competition. Any questions?"

Thirty hands raised themselves, but Misty wasn't one of them.

"Yes, Gary?" asked Mr. Gyabunga.

"Can there be boy and girl tent groups, or is it single sex?" Gary demanded with a sly smile.

"Well, sorry Gary my boy, the tents are all gonna be single sex arranged, your day hikes can be composed of the two sexes, and the overnighter is a single sex affair."

"Ash, I can guess your question, you are allowed to take your Pokemon on camp,"

Misty couldn't help but laugh. Stupid Ash only cared about his stupid little Pokemon. Misty wanted to sneak out at night and smash them up with a sledgehammer. 

In fact, Misty felt like smashing everyone with a ruddy big, spiked sledgehammer. As she glowered at her schoolmates and sneered at their questions she kept imagining Ash's perky little face spattered in blood and Kishi's stupid blue eyes hanging from their retinal cords. The images brought tears of joy to her eyes.

__

You faggot, her mind bitched, _those aren't bloody tears of joy. You are crying over the stupid psychopathic bitch you've become. Give it up, Nice-Girl, you're too sweet to play it this hard._

THAT NIGHT...

LANCE

"Just come in," Kishi urged Hitmonchan and Lance "Mum and Dad won't mind," 

Lance looked doubtful, and made his figure look appropriately small when he stepped through the doorway.

The simple beauty of the house was apparent the second he and Hitmonchan were through the doorway. The walls were icy blues throughout, the furniture of modern design and the plush blue carpet thick beneath Lance's boots.

Above the fireplace sat several family photos, and from him place he could see they were mostly of Kishi and Gabby. For a second his heart leapt as he imagined himself to one day be part of the family photos. A foolish conviction, for he would never be part of the family.

"Mum, Dad, I have some big news,"

Her parents, Yui and Gendo, emerged from the kitchen with anxious smiles.

Lance immediately pinned Kishi's blue hair on Gendo and attributed Kishi's blue eyes to her mother.

"Mum, Dad, this is Lance and Hitmonchan. Lance, Hitmonchan, meet Mum and Dad."

All four new acquaintances smiled tight, nervous smiles. The discomfort waves were soaring through the air so thickly they almost distorted it.

"Lance and Hitmonchan have ,uh...well they've been without a home for a while and I only found out today, so I, uh...invited them to stay for a while..."

Yui looked at Lance disapprovingly, her lips held in a taut smile. Gendo shared a worried glance with his wife, but the evident loving, caring, sharing value that Kishi displayed was evident in her forebearers.

"Sure," Yui said warmly "You and Hitmonchan can have the guest room. It's just across the hall from Kishi's room, so she can show you around...uh Lance?"

"Yes?"

"Why don't you have a home?"

Lance stood up rigid, sharing a discreet worried stare with Hitmonchan until he could muster his most convincing lie.

"My parents are dead," he said dryly, his voice cracking under the skill of his acting and the fact that he was lying.

Yui and Gendo's faces twisted sympathetically, and they each murmured their apologies and understanding.

"Come on guys, I'll show you to your room." Kishi said softly.

Once in the room, Kishi turned to Lance and pinned him up against the wall. "Don't bullshit them, Lance! They were so kind to let you stay! Your parents aren't really dead, are they?" she hissed.

"*No secrets from a psychic, eh?*" Hitmonchan said without humor.

"No..." Lance muttered "No, they're not, but I thought...if I told the truth, they wouldn't let me...stay..."

Kishi took a step back. "Yeah, I guess you're right...but I feel so bad...should I keep it a secret?"

Lance shrugged weakly, looking deeply into Kishi's eyes. Kishi sighed, her shoulders falling. She looked up at him, and pursed her lips to keep from grinning.

"I feel bloody uncomfortable," Lance breathed, taking a step towards Kishi and placing a hand on her arm.

"Me too," she blushed, slipping her left arm around his waist.

"Are we going to kiss?" he asked shyly.

Kishi smiled and hung her head. "No...we're not,"

With her eyes shining in apology she pulled away. "It would be the wrong thing to do. Not here. Not now."

"Yeah..." Lance agreed weakly "Well..."

"I better go, you know, to the, uh, toilet..." Kishi excused herself, backing away.

"Yeah," Lance nodded, blushing.

__

What the Hell just happened? He wondered.

"*What the hell just happened?*" demanded Hitmonchan.

Lance's response was a small shrug. He didn't know.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Ah, sense of finality and excitement spreads through the air as the would-be romance concludes (maybe) and the camp looms near.

And, on that note, the excitement has gotten to me and my plans of writing about the mid-terms have been abolished, so next time you'll be fast-forwarded to a new date, Monday, the first day of camp.

Love,

Mew2


End file.
